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Sheibani, an Iranian Diplomat with Intelligence Clout

Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani (Iranian media)
Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani (Iranian media)
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Sheibani, an Iranian Diplomat with Intelligence Clout

Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani (Iranian media)
Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani (Iranian media)

Only weeks after Iranian diplomat Mohammad Reza Sheibani returned to Beirut as ambassador, his name has become the focus of a diplomatic crisis.

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry withdrew its approval and declared him “persona non grata”, reflecting rising tensions between Beirut and Tehran and drawing renewed attention to a career tied to some of the Middle East’s most complex issues.

The decision swiftly ended the mission of a diplomat Tehran had sent back to Beirut, relying on his long experience on Lebanon and Syria.

His return had collided with a Lebanese political climate increasingly sensitive to the limits of foreign diplomatic roles.

War experience and regional role

Sheibani is no stranger to Lebanon. He served as Iran’s ambassador to Beirut from 2005 to 2009, a period that coincided with the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, giving him direct experience managing ties under complex security and political conditions.

His reappointment in early 2026 reflected an Iranian preference for seasoned diplomats in areas where politics and security overlap.

He replaced former ambassador Mojtaba Amani, who was injured in a pager explosion in Beirut, at a time of regional escalation, giving his return added weight beyond routine diplomacy.

Between Beirut and Damascus

Born in 1960, Sheibani joined Iran’s Foreign Ministry in the 1980s and rose through its ranks, focusing on Middle East affairs.

He served as chargé d’affaires in Cyprus and as head of Iran’s interests section in Egypt, before being appointed ambassador to Lebanon and later to Syria from 2011 to 2016, during which he covered the early years of the war.

He later served as ambassador to Tunisia and non-resident ambassador to Libya, and as assistant foreign minister for Middle East affairs.

He also worked as a senior adviser and researcher at the Institute for Political and International Studies at the Foreign Ministry, before returning to the forefront amid rising regional tensions.

Roles during escalation

In October 2024, he was named special representative of the Iranian foreign minister for West Asia, and in January 2025, he was appointed special envoy to Syria following developments in Damascus, including the closure of Iran’s embassy.

He was also tasked with following the Lebanese file as a special envoy during a sensitive phase, reinforcing his role as a crisis diplomat.

His career reflects a distinction within Iran’s diplomatic structure, as he is linked to the Ministry of Intelligence rather than the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, highlighting a division of roles in foreign policy.

Legal and constitutional debate

The move by Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has also sparked legal debate over how such decisions are made and enforced.

Constitutional expert Saeed Malek said the decision is based on Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which allows a state to declare a diplomat persona non grata without a specific procedure.

He said the measure does not amount to a break in diplomatic ties but falls within the management of diplomatic representation, adding that such decisions fall within the foreign minister’s authority under Article 66 of the constitution.

Malek said the decision is binding, and once the deadline to leave Lebanon expires, the ambassador’s presence becomes unlawful.

He added that security forces are required to enforce the decision and remove him once located.

However, he said enforcement remains bound by international rules, as the ambassador’s presence inside the embassy prevents Lebanese forces from entering under diplomatic immunity, meaning his expulsion can only be carried out once he leaves the premises.

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Features

In War‑Scarred Gaza, Brides Turn to Refurbished Wedding Dresses

Palestinians attend a mass wedding for 50 couples organized by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Gaza City, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Palestinians attend a mass wedding for 50 couples organized by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Gaza City, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)
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In War‑Scarred Gaza, Brides Turn to Refurbished Wedding Dresses

Palestinians attend a mass wedding for 50 couples organized by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Gaza City, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Palestinians attend a mass wedding for 50 couples organized by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Gaza City, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)

In a small sewing workshop in southern Gaza, Nisreen Al-Rantisi pulls fabric from a pile and reshapes worn wedding dresses, trying to keep a fading tradition alive amid war and soaring costs.

Families said they have been struggling to find new wedding dresses and many search instead for places that refurbish gowns and other kinds of clothes for their children.

Importers cite delays, high shipping costs, and restrictions on materials, such as the crystals encrusted into the elaborate wedding dresses, as key factors behind the shortages ‌and price hikes.

Many workshops ‌have also been damaged during the conflict.

“We try ‌to ⁠reuse the old ⁠gowns that we have, produce them by fixing them a bit, work on them, wash them, arrange them, shape them,” said Rantisi, adding that work initially relied on a bicycle-powered sewing machine due to electricity shortages.

Rantisi said she used to buy the fabric for about 120 to 150 shekels ($41 to $51) before the war, but now pays around 500 shekels ($171).

“This has caused a big rise ⁠in the cost of bridal dresses and children’s gowns. We ‌are living in a vicious circle ‌from the war that affected us,” she added.

COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls ‌access to Gaza, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Most ‌of Gaza's more than 2 million people have been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings after two years of war with Israel.

HIGH PRICES BEYOND REACH ‌FOR MOST IN GAZA

Despite the hardships, some couples still find ways to celebrate, with mass weddings held in ⁠Gaza offering a ⁠rare moment of joy amid the devastation.

Shop workers say the war has driven prices beyond reach.

“Before the war, prices were reasonable for everyone,” said Rawan Shalouf, an employee at a bridal shop.

“But now, given the circumstances we’re in, the price of a dress is ridiculous.”

Across Gaza, brides and families are struggling to afford even basic wedding needs. Shahed Fayez, 21, is due to marry in about four days but has been searching in vain for a dress.

“I don’t care about its style, what’s important is that it's new,” she added.

“The cheapest dress is $1,000 or more, that's the minimum, and all we have is less than $200. The entire dowry does not cover the price of a dress.”

Features

In Tierra del Fuego, a Hunt for the Rodent Carrier of Hantavirus

This aerial view shows tourists taking photos at the Ushuaia sign in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Argentina, on May 17, 2026. (AFP)
This aerial view shows tourists taking photos at the Ushuaia sign in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Argentina, on May 17, 2026. (AFP)
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In Tierra del Fuego, a Hunt for the Rodent Carrier of Hantavirus

This aerial view shows tourists taking photos at the Ushuaia sign in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Argentina, on May 17, 2026. (AFP)
This aerial view shows tourists taking photos at the Ushuaia sign in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Argentina, on May 17, 2026. (AFP)

A scientific mission was set to kick off the search Monday for rodents that may be hantavirus carriers after an outbreak on a cruise ship departed this region at the southern tip of Argentina on April 1.

For several days, biologists from Buenos Aires will set traps at various locations on the southern island of Tierra del Fuego to analyze whether the captured rodents carry the Andes strain of the virus, the only one known to spread between people.

The mission is critical since the outbreak aboard the Hondius led to three deaths and triggered global alarm.

The first person to die from the disease, a Dutchman, had spent 48 hours in the picturesque city of Ushuaia with his wife -- who died two weeks later -- before embarking on the cruise, raising suspicions that they had contracted the virus in Argentina.

Provincial officials vehemently deny this hypothesis.

They insist that Tierra del Fuego province has not had a case of hantavirus since its reporting became mandatory 30 years ago, unlike in provinces to the north, such as Rio Negro and Chubut.

"There's no precedent," said Sebastian Poljak, an expert in local mammals.

- Night Traps -

Local scientists debate about whether the noteworthy rodent in Tierra del Fuego is the long-tailed rat (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus) or a subspecies, the Magellanic long-tailed rat (Oligoryzomys magellanicus).

"For some, it's the same species, for others, a subspecies, but the important thing is to analyze whether one of them is infected with hantavirus," said Juan Petrina, the province's director of epidemiology.

The woodland rodent that lives here is a small species measuring 6-8 centimeters (2.4-3.1 inches), but with a tail that can reach 15 cm.

The rodent is nocturnal and feeds on fruits and seeds. It lives in wooded and shrubby areas, nesting, for example, in tree cavities.

It is in these areas that scientists from Malbran, Argentina's leading institute for infectious diseases, will set trap cages in the evening and retrieve them in the morning, local health sources said.

A prime target is Tierra del Fuego National Park, 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of forests, lakes and mountains 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Ushuaia.

Another wooded area, not far from a landfill, will also be targeted, though the landfill itself will be excluded, they said.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that the Dutch person who died, a bird enthusiast, had visited the site to observe local scavengers, prompting speculation that his case involved contact with rodents there.

Capturing rats in the landfill itself would "make no sense, (because) the rodents found there are urban rodents, not susceptible to hantavirus," Petrina said.

Analysis results of the captured rats should be available within four weeks, he added.

- Isolated Rodents -

Local scientists welcome the mission, which will allow them to "assess with greater certainty the potential danger posed by the local rodents," said Guillermo Deferrari, a biologist at the Southern Center for Scientific Investigation (CADIC).

That should allow them to "definitively eradicate the idea that there is hantavirus here," said Poljak.

He points out that Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan, a major geographical barrier for species.

The rodent population there is significantly isolated, he said.

Local scientists suspect that it is more likely that the infection happened in another region.

The Dutch couple had traveled extensively in Argentina for four months, with forays into Chile -- where hantavirus is also present -- and Uruguay.

Local authorities hope the Malbran mission will rule out the hypothesis of a local infection so as not to hurt the tourism business.

While Ushuaia is experiencing a slowdown at the start of winter, cruises that run from September to April attract up to 200,000 visitors annually.

"We don't want this situation to escalate any further," said Juan Manuel Pavlov, secretary of the Tierra del Fuego Tourism Institute.

Features

Was Israel Secretly Running Two Military Bases in Iraqi Desert for Months?

An Iraqi shepherd herds sheep and goats as the sun sets in the Iraqi town of Mishkhab south of Najaf, Iraq, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (APl)
An Iraqi shepherd herds sheep and goats as the sun sets in the Iraqi town of Mishkhab south of Najaf, Iraq, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (APl)
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Was Israel Secretly Running Two Military Bases in Iraqi Desert for Months?

An Iraqi shepherd herds sheep and goats as the sun sets in the Iraqi town of Mishkhab south of Najaf, Iraq, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (APl)
An Iraqi shepherd herds sheep and goats as the sun sets in the Iraqi town of Mishkhab south of Najaf, Iraq, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (APl)

Israel built two covert bases in Iraq’s rugged western desert for well over a year to aid in its wars with Iran, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Iraqi officials described the development as a “blatant disregard for Iraqi sovereignty,” while a shepherd was killed after he stumbled on the base.

It all started on March 3, after Awad al-Shammari, 29, set off on a grocery trip, his cousin, Amir al-Shammari, told The New York Times.

Instead of making it home, the shepherd stumbled upon a closely guarded Israeli military secret, hidden in the Iraqi desert near the town of al-Nukhaib. His family believes it cost him his life.

Sometime between starting his ill-fated trip and its gruesome end, Awad had contacted Iraq’s regional military command to report what he had seen: soldiers, helicopters and tents clustered around a landing strip.

Israel was operating a base there to support its military operations against Baghdad’s regional partner, Iran, according to senior Iraqi and regional officials.

The presence of an Israeli outpost in Iraq was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal. Iraqi officials told The Times there was another undisclosed second base also in Iraq’s western desert.

The base Awad came across predated the current war between the United States, Israel and Iran, the regional security officials said, and was used during the 12-day war against Iran in June 2025.

The information the sources shared indicates that at least one of the bases — the one the shepherd stumbled upon — had been known to Washington since June 2025 or possibly earlier. That would most likely mean Baghdad’s other key ally, the United States, had withheld from Iraq the fact that hostile forces were on its soil.

“It shows a blatant disregard for Iraqi sovereignty, its government and its forces, as well as for the dignity of the Iraqi people,” said Waad al-Kadu, an Iraqi lawmaker who attended a confidential parliamentary briefing about that base.

Israel’s military declined repeated requests for comment on the camps or on Awad’s killing.

The US role in Iraqi security was part of Israel’s calculations in deciding it could safely operate clandestinely in Iraq, the regional officials said.

Major General Ali al-Hamdani, commander of the Iraqi military’s Western Euphrates Forces, said the army had suspected an Israeli presence in the desert for over a month before the shepherd’s discovery.

“Until now,” he said, “the government has been silent about it.”

Iraq’s government, for whom acknowledging Israeli outposts is fraught, has still not acknowledged the Israeli bases. Iraq has no diplomatic relations with Israel, and its population sees Israel as an enemy.

Lt. Gen. Saad Maan, a spokesman for Iraq’s security forces, told The Times that Iraq “has no information regarding the locations of any Israeli military bases.”

Growing outrage in Iraq over the revelations could threaten US efforts to curb Iranian influence in the country, even as the war’s outcome remains uncertain.

Iraqis also fear pro-Iran armed factions will use these developments to justify their refusal to disarm and to expand their military influence in Iraq.