The American Lebanese Policy Institute Political Action Committee (ALPI-PAC) sharply criticized a decision by Lebanese security officials to grant a visa extension to Iran’s rejected ambassador-designate, calling the move a direct threat to Lebanon's national sovereignty.

In a statement released Tuesday, ALPI-PAC condemned the reported decision by Lebanon’s Directorate General of General Security to issue a six-month visa to Mohammad Reza Sheibani. The decision allows the diplomat to remain in the country despite having his diplomatic credentials formally rejected by the Lebanese government earlier this year.

"This decision is unacceptable," wrote Paul Elhindi, President of ALPI PAC. "It contradicts a sovereign decision of the Lebanese government and damages the authority and credibility of the Lebanese state."

The Lebanese government—via a joint decision by the President, the Prime Minister, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—withdrew its approval of Sheibani’s appointment on March 24, 2026. Officials declared him *persona non grata* and instructed him to leave the country by March 29, a decision formally communicated to the Iranian embassy.

However, General Security reportedly issued Sheibani a six-month residence visa based on his prior diplomatic service in Lebanon. While the visa does not restore his formal diplomatic status, ALPI-PAC warned that using administrative reclassification to permit his continued stay effectively bypasses a binding executive order.

"A visa must not be used as an administrative mechanism to circumvent a sovereign order," Elhindi stated, pointing to a "dangerous institutional contradiction" within the state apparatus.

"Lebanon cannot claim to be restoring the authority of the state while one institution undermines a sovereign decision issued by another," he added. "This contradiction weakens the prestige of the state and raises serious questions about whether foreign pressure or internal political influence can override Lebanon’s sovereign decisions."

The group argued that the failure to enforce Sheibani’s departure signals broader vulnerabilities in Lebanon's governance, particularly regarding efforts to disarm Hezbollah, limit weapons strictly to the state, and curb unlawful Iranian interference.

ALPI-PAC outlined several demands for the Lebanese government, calling on officials to:

• Immediately review and revoke Sheibani’s visa and enforce the March 24 departure order.
• Investigate how the visa was approved despite his *persona non grata* designation.
• Confirm that Sheibani holds no diplomatic status, immunity, or authority to act on behalf of Iran, while preventing him from engaging in political, diplomatic, intelligence, or security activities.
• Ensure all state institutions consistently respect and enforce sovereign government decisions.

"The Lebanese people deserve a state that acts with consistency, authority and independence," Elhindi concluded. "Sovereign decisions must not become negotiable under foreign or domestic political pressure."