00:00Lebanon has invoked Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to expel the Iranian ambassador.
00:08And I'd like to ask you, why is Iran refusing to comply with that order?
00:13Thank you for having me, Tom.
00:17I believe that there is a genuine issue in this matter, diplomatically and legally,
00:25and international conventions related to diplomats.
00:28Perhaps it is true that this procedure taken by the Lebanese foreign minister
00:35with regards to requesting the Iranian ambassador to leave Lebanon.
00:44This could be correct, but if we take under consideration the sectorial law
00:54or the basic law or the Lebanese constitution, which stipulates that there is a political sectarianism.
01:02Hence, when there is a political sectarianism, the Lebanese constitution stipulates that there should be a political agreement,
01:11which is a part of, again, the Lebanese sectarian politics.
01:18The Iranian ambassador wanted to present his accreditations to the Lebanese president,
01:25but it appears he was late, but in request from the foreign minister when he was requested to leave,
01:36there was a refusal from the speaker of the parliament.
01:43There are those who say that the Lebanese president does not agree or agrees,
01:47but, again, this political agreement that should be in such decisions,
01:54it appears it did not occur until this moment.
01:56For that reason, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabi HaBarri,
02:03requested the Iranian ambassador not to leave Lebanon.
02:08And he feels embarrassed talking about the Iranian ambassador,
02:14but he responded to the request of the speaker of the parliament,
02:19and the Lebanese parliament prevented him, banned him,
02:25because the foreign minister in Tehran had a similar opinion for him to leave and come back to Iran
02:32and perhaps come back at a later time if his accreditations are approved.
02:36But the speaker of the Lebanese parliament prevented the Iranian ambassador from leaving.
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