Lebanon accuses Iran of sending IRGC terrorists into the country ‘under the guise of diplomatic activity’

(SeaPRwire) –   The Lebanese government lodged a strongly worded complaint with the United Nations, contending that the Islamic Republic of Iran has misused diplomatic immunity by refusing to recall its ambassador after Beirut demanded his expulsion and to cease alleged terrorist activities on Lebanese soil, according to a recently revealed letter from late April.

The disclosure of this letter, which is reportedly an unprecedented action by Lebanon, occurs amidst a second day of discussions in Washington between Israel and Lebanon aimed at normalizing relations (the two countries are in a state of war) and dismantling the Iranian-regime-backed Hezbollah terrorist movement in Lebanon.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Digital on Friday that “The United States-facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon have resumed today and are ongoing. The atmosphere of talks has been very positive, even exceeding expectations.”

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott posted on X on Friday that “On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress. The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3.”

He further added that, “In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries. We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border.”

As the parties report back to their capitals, the potentially transformative letter, in which Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Ahmad Arafa, criticized Iran for deploying alleged terrorists from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into Lebanon “under the guise of diplomatic activity,” has offered encouragement to critics of Iran and Hezbollah.

Arafa stated, according to the letter, that Iran committed “unlawful acts in blatant defiance of the decisions of the Government of Lebanon.” He continued, “This Iranian conduct constitutes direct and blatant interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and drags the country into a war it did not choose to become involved in.”

Both the U.S. and the European Union have designated the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

The letter reprimanded the Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, for “blatant interference” in Lebanon.

According to Lebanon’s U.N. letter, Beirut argued that Iran is violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and interfering in Lebanon’s state of affairs.

When questioned about the specifics of the letter, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. declined to comment. The spokesperson also chose not to comment on the ongoing talks with Israel in Washington.

Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, informed Digital that “Many have considered the Lebanese memo to the U.N. as the start of the Lebanese government’s change of attitude towards Iran and a sign of escalation by Beirut. While the tone of the letter and its narrative make people feel that there is a government resistance to Iran and Hezbollah, the reality is still lesser.”

He added that “The subject of the last quarrel is a legal change of status regarding the presence of Iranians on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese government has decided not to grant Iranians, government, and private citizens an automatic visa waiver, which upset Iran and Hezbollah. Besides, Tehran is furious at the fact that the Lebanese government has not been helpful in dealing with the elimination of a number of IRGC members killed in Lebanon by Israel. Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran.'”

According to Phares, “Raggi represents a Lebanese Christian bloc in the parliament, who is not sympathetic to the regime. However, the actual talks in D.C. are designed by the Lebanese government to show the Trump administration that the ‘state wants to talk’ but not to reach an agreement that would trigger Hezbollah’s wrath. The leaders of the Lebanese state are not yet where the U.S. and Israel expect them to be.”

A regional official well-versed in the U.N. dispute told Digital that Lebanon “argued that Iran had not given the Lebanese foreign ministry the list of all Iranians and the details about their place of stay. And that’s why Israel targeted that hotel in Lebanon in which six were killed, which is true.”

The official stated that “Iran had not informed the foreign ministry of Lebanon about those six people.”