Iran’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “illegal” US sanctions on Tehran’s ambassador-designate to Lebanon, according to a ministry statement.
The ministry “strongly condemned the illegal and unjustified action by the US Treasury Department in sanctioning Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani, Iran’s designated ambassador to Beirut,” the statement said.
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Hezbollah-linked individuals as well as the Iranian diplomat over Lebanon-related activities.
The foreign ministry described the move as “another example of the rogue behaviour and disregard of the US ruling establishment for the fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter”.
Lebanon had declared Sheibani persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country in March, but it is not known whether he ever departed from Beirut.
Iran also condemned the US sanctions on Hezbollah MPs in Lebanon.
“These despicable measures are aimed at undermining Lebanon’s national sovereignty and sowing discord within Lebanese society, and are a sign of the continued complicity of the US ruling establishment with the aggressive and occupying Zionist regime (Israel),” the statement said.
