Washington declares Lebanon's Detroit consul Ibrahim Sharara persona non grata; he leaves for Beirut

⏱️ Timeline

1. 7 Nov 2026, 06:59 The US State Department declared Lebanon's consul in Detroit persona non grata over posts related to Hezbollah, according to news reports.
2. 7 Nov 2026, 09:07 The consul was identified as Lebanon's Consul General in Detroit, Michigan, Ibrahim Sharara, over earlier social media posts attributed to him praising the 1983 attack on the US Marine barracks in Beirut, following a Washington Free Beacon report that revealed his earlier posts and positions. Diplomatic and media circles at the time circulated reports of an imminent decision, while noting that no official decision or confirmed US statement had yet been issued.
3. 7 Nov 2026, 15:29 Al-Jadeed reported that the Lebanese Embassy in Washington was officially notified of the US State Department's decision to expel the Lebanese consul, and the embassy confirmed to An-Nahar that it was officially notified of the decision to expel the consul in Michigan, Ibrahim Sharara.
4. 8 Nov 2026, 07:14 The US State Department informed the Lebanese Embassy of its decision to expel Consul Ibrahim Sharara and deem him persona non grata, giving him 48 hours to leave with his family over the old posts attributed to him. According to information cited by L'Orient-Le Jour, 8 a.m. on Sunday was set as the final deadline for departure.
5. 8 Nov 2026, 16:06 The US State Department commented to Al-Hadath on the decision to expel Lebanon's consul in Detroit, stressing that a visa is "a privilege, not a right," and saying it "will not forget our colleagues killed in Lebanon in 1983," without further details on the reasons for the decision.
6. 9 Nov 2026, 06:33 L'Orient Today quoted a source close to Sharara as saying that his account was hacked and that he did not write the posts attributed to him, as Sharara left the United States returning to Beirut.
7. 9 Nov 2026, 07:24 Diplomatic sources told Al-Akhbar that the US State Department informed Ambassador Nada Maawad of a decision deeming Consul General in Detroit Ibrahim Sharara persona non grata on US territory, noting that the decision was not justified with the reasons behind it.
8. 9 Nov 2026, 07:26 Lebanon's Consul General in Detroit, Ibrahim Sharara, left US territory permanently after being expelled over tweets dating back to 2021 praising the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut; members of the Lebanese community and his sister took part in his farewell, and a video showing part of the farewell circulated.
9. 9 Nov 2026, 22:19 Ibrahim Sharara arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut on the evening of 9 November 2026, where a crowd of family and friends received him; he declined to make statements, saying only that he had the honour and pride of serving the Lebanese community in Michigan, and called on Lebanese to unity and love.
10. 10 Nov 2026, 07:15 Invitations to receive Sharara at Rafik Hariri International Airport went unanswered, with attendance limited to family members, some friends and journalists. Reports indicate that Sharara overstepped diplomatic norms in his social media posts and spoke to the media without prior permission from Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, which may require punishing him for violating the laws.

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