BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam instructed authorities on Thursday to take measures to prevent any military or security activity by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the country, in a major step by the Lebanese state to counter foreign influence in the country.

What happened: Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Information Minister Paul Morcos said Salam ordered during the meeting the relevant ministries and security and military agencies “to intervene firmly and immediately to prevent any security or military activity they might carry out from Lebanese territory, regardless of their status or the cover under which they operate, and to arrest them under the supervision of the competent judiciary in preparation for deportation.”

Morcos added that the government has also agreed to reinstate visa requirements for Iranian citizens entering the country to “prevent any activity that could undermine security or use Lebanese territory to carry out special objectives.”

The move follows the Israeli military on Tuesday issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to individuals it described as “representatives of the Iranian regime” in Lebanon, warning them to leave the country or face attack.