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Lebanon’s government has filed a scathing complaint with the United Nations arguing that the Islamic Republic of Iran abused diplomatic immunity by refusing to recall its ambassador after Beirut demanded he be expelled and stop alleged terrorism on its soil, according to a letter that emerged in late April.
The disclosure of this letter, which is reported to be an example taken by Lebanon, comes during the second day of talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon to normalize relations (these countries are in a state of war) and dismantle the terrorist organization supported by the Iranian regime, Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A spokesperson for the US State Department told Fox News Digital on Friday that “United States negotiations between Israel and Lebanon resumed today and are continuing. The state of negotiations has been very good, even exceeding expectations.”
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A mourner holds a portrait of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral March 5, 2026, for members of the pro-Iranian Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah killed in a strike in Baghdad the previous day. (Ahmed Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images)
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on X on Friday that “On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of very productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 deadline will be extended by 45 days to facilitate progress. The State Department will also put together a political track for talks on June 2 and June 3.”
He added that, “In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries. We hope that these talks will promote lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establish real security on their shared border.”
As the parties reported in their headlines, a potentially game-changing letter in which Lebanon’s ambassador to the UN, Ahmad Arafa, criticized Iran for placing so-called terrorists in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Lebanon “under the guise of diplomatic activity,” giving hope to critics of Iran and Hezbollah.
Arafa said, according to the letter, that Iran has committed “illegal acts in deliberate disregard of the decisions of the Government of Lebanon.” He continued, “This behavior of Iran constitutes a direct and open interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and drags the country into a war that it did not choose to be involved in.”
Michael Needham, adviser to the US State Department, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
The US and the European Union have listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
The letter prompted Iran’s Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, to take action for “flagrant interference” in Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s letter to the UN, Beirut argued that Iran was violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and was interfering in Lebanese affairs.
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Iranian protesters carry flowers in front of a large flag of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah during a demonstration in Tehran on September 30, 2024, condemning the Israeli air strike on Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut and the killing of Nasrallah and IRGC Quds Force commander General Abbas Nilforoushan. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
When asked about the details of the letter, a spokesman for the Lebanese embassy in the US declined to comment. The spokesperson also refused to be involved in the ongoing negotiations with Israel in Washington.
Walid Phares, a leading US expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital that “Many have viewed the Lebanese memo to the UN as the beginning of a change in the Lebanese government’s attitude towards Iran and a sign of Beirut’s rise. Although the tone of the letter and its narrative make people feel that there is an opposition of the government against Iran and Hezbollah the truth is still small.”
He added that “The subject of the last dispute is the change in the legal situation regarding the presence of Iranians on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese government has decided not to grant Iranians, the government, and private citizens an automatic visa waiver, which has angered Iran and Hezbollah. Besides, Tehran is angry that the Lebanese government was not helpful in dealing with ISRG Tehran’s number in the killing of Israel. The minister outside of Lebanon, especially foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for “reducing alliances with Iran.”
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a suburb south of Beirut, Lebanon, on April 5, 2026. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
According to Phares, “Raggi represents the Lebanese Christian bloc in the parliament, which has no sympathy with the regime. However, the real talks in DC are for the Lebanese government to show the Trump administration that ‘the regime wants to talk’ but not to reach an agreement that could cause the wrath of Hezbollah. The leaders of the Lebanese state do not expect to be the US where Israel is.”
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A regional official with extensive knowledge of the UN conflict told Fox News Digital that Lebanon “contested that Iran did not provide the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a list of all Iranians and information about where they live. And that is why Israel targeted that hotel in Lebanon where six were killed, which is true.”
The official said that “Iran has not informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon about these six people.”
