Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi has stated that Iranian officials must cease interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs. He added that normal relations with Tehran's diplomatic mission in Beirut can only be restored once Iran respects the Lebanese state's decisions.
"Iranian officials must stop interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs, the latest example being the statements made by the speaker of the Iranian parliament," Raggi told Lebanese daily An-Nahar on Thursday.
"Respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty is the essential basis for normal diplomatic relations between the two countries," he added.
"Normal relations with the Iranian mission in Lebanon can only resume once Tehran complies with the Lebanese state’s decision and respects Lebanon’s sovereignty and the decisions of its institutions," Raggi asserted.
He further stated that any resumption of normal ties must be in accordance "with established diplomatic rules and procedures".
On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized the necessity of "state-to-state relations" with Iran, founded on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.
These remarks come amidst months of tension between Beirut and Tehran concerning statements made by Iranian officials that Lebanon perceives as interference in its domestic affairs.
In mid-March, Raggi summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires to convey Beirut’s objection to statements that he described as a "clear violation of our national sovereignty and a breach of our government’s decisions."
Shortly thereafter, Beirut declared Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani persona non grata, citing what it termed "violations of established diplomatic norms and protocols" by Tehran.
