Lebanon is navigating a delicate balancing act with Iran, with President Joseph Aoun’s decision to send Defense Minister Michel Menassa to Tehran for the official mourning ceremony of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei drawing attention as a test of Beirut’s approach toward its powerful regional neighbor.

Menassa, considered close to Aoun, represented Lebanon at the ceremony, a move that sparked criticism among some political circles. According to Nidaa Al Watan, Aoun had initially asked Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri to carry out the mission, but Mitri immediately declined in an effort to avoid becoming involved in a politically sensitive domestic dispute.

Despite the controversy surrounding Menassa’s participation, political observers said the decision carried a broader message both inside Lebanon and abroad.

Domestically, they said, the move was intended as a gesture of respect toward Lebanon’s Shiite community, which considers Khamenei its highest religious authority. On the international level, it was seen as an affirmation of the principle of state-to-state relations and equality between Lebanon and Iran, signaling that Beirut does not seek confrontation with Tehran as long as Iran respects Lebanon’s sovereignty and refrains from interfering in its internal affairs.

However, remarks by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to a Hezbollah delegation on the sidelines of the funeral ceremony highlighted the ongoing sensitivity surrounding Tehran’s role in Lebanon. Ghalibaf said that “peace in Lebanon and the region can only pass through Iran,” reinforcing perceptions among Lebanese political circles that Tehran continues to view Lebanon as a bargaining tool within its broader regional influence and negotiations with the United States — whether those talks take place in Islamabad, Switzerland or potentially Doha.

Iranian pressure has not been limited to political statements, according to the report. Tehran has continued efforts through various channels to push the Lebanese government to appoint a representative to a proposed joint Iranian-U.S.-Lebanese committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire reached under the Switzerland agreement.

In what Nidaa Al Watan described as an ironic development, Iran has reportedly proposed that its representative on the committee be Mohammad Reza Shaibani, the Iranian ambassador whom Lebanon declared persona non grata.

According to the report, Tehran is seeking to restore both its own diplomatic standing and Shaibani’s position, while looking for a way to bring him back into the Lebanese political scene without appearing to retreat.

During a recent phone call with President Aoun, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly raised the issue of Shaibani while urging Lebanon to appoint its representative to the joint committee. Araghchi called on Aoun to resolve the ambassador’s status and find a “dignified” solution that would reverse the decision declaring him persona non grata.

The report said one of Aoun’s advisers explored several possible options to address the issue, but the proposals were firmly rejected, particularly by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who argued that such a move would weaken the authority and sovereignty of the Lebanese state.

One option reportedly considered was appointing Shaibani as a special envoy rather than maintaining him as ambassador. Tehran rejected that proposal and insisted on keeping him in his diplomatic role while reversing the decision regarding his credentials.

The dispute has also taken on an international dimension. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Shaibani on May 21, meaning that any move to reinstate him or normalize his status would likely be viewed by Washington as a negative signal in its relationship with Beirut.

Lebanon declared Shaibani persona non grata on March 24, 2026. However, he has remained in the country as an Iranian citizen under a six-month ordinary visa, which expires on July 24, creating an approaching deadline over his legal status in Lebanon.