Only Trump alone can stop war in Middle East, Sisi says

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday its ambassador remained in Beirut and the embassy was continuing its work, despite a Lebanese order for his removal.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, “We have followed up reports about our ambassador. Our embassy is open and our ambassador continues his work in Beirut and remains present.”

Lebanon has revoked its approval for Iran’s designated ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani and ordered him to leave by March 29, broadcaster LBCI reported, adding Beirut had declared him persona non grata and recalled its ambassador to Iran.

The development comes as Gideon Sa'ar said earlier that Iran’s envoy remained in Beirut past the deadline and described Lebanon as being under Iranian influence.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday there had been no direct talks with the US, though it had received messages from Washington through intermediaries, including Pakistan.

He said proposals described as a 15-point plan presented by the US were “excessive and unreasonable.”

Baghaei said Iran’s position on the issues under discussion was clear and that Tehran remained focused on its own framework.

Iran does not see region as enemy, Baghaei says

Baghaei said Iran did not view regional countries as enemies and had cultural, religious and economic ties with its neighbors.

He said Iran’s military actions targeted bases and facilities used as launch points for attacks against it.

“It is not enough to say we are not part of the war,” he said, referring to regional states.

Baghaei comments on regional ties and Ukraine

He said Iran maintained diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and thanked some regional countries for staying out of the conflict.

Baghaei also criticized attempts to link the Ukraine war to the current conflict, referring to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and said regional states would not be drawn into it.

Flames were seen at an oil refinery in Haifa following an Iranian and Hezbollah missile attack, Israeli media reported.

Footage aired on Channel 12 showed a fire at the Bazan refinery, though it was unclear whether the site was directly hit or struck by shrapnel from an interception.

Iran’s adversaries must pledge not to strike the country again and recognize all of its international rights, Iran first vice president said on Monday.

“They must say, ‘We will no longer attack Iran and we recognize all of Iran’s international rights,’” Mohammad Reza Aref added.

He said the adversaries were seeking talks over the Strait of Hormuz and that it remained unclear whether they were ready to make such commitments.

The first vice president also said Iran’s armed forces were among the most powerful in the world.

Iran’s judiciary said on Monday it had revoked the residency permits of 1,200 citizens of the United Arab Emirates living in Iran and ordered them to leave within a week.

In a statement, the judiciary said the move required the affected individuals to exit the country within seven days.

The decision comes amid a widening regional conflict that began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, after which Tehran launched missile and drone attacks on targets across the region, including the UAE.

The move also follows reports that Emirati authorities had canceled residency visas of Iranian nationals, leaving some stranded abroad.