Tehran, Iran - Iran's foreign ministry on Friday condemned what it called "illegal" US sanctions on Tehran's ambassador-designate to Lebanon, according to a ministry statement.

The ministry "strongly condemned the illegal and unjustified action by the US Treasury Department in sanctioning Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani, Iran's designated ambassador to Beirut," the statement said.

The US on Thursday imposed sanctions on individuals it linked to Hezbollah as well as the Iranian diplomat over Lebanon-related activities.

The foreign ministry described the move as "another example of the rogue behavior and disregard of the US ruling establishment for the fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter."

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Lebanon had declared Sheibani persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country in March, but it is not known whether he ever departed from Beirut.

Iran also condemned the US sanctions on Hezbollah MPs in Lebanon.

"These despicable measures are aimed at undermining Lebanon's national sovereignty and sowing discord within Lebanese society, and are a sign of the continued complicity of the US ruling establishment with the aggressive and occupying Zionist regime (Israel)," the statement said.

The sanctions come amid stalled efforts to formally end the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has also seen Israel wage a series of deadly strikes on Lebanon.

The war erupted after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile and drone strikes across the region.

A ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but negotiations to permanently end the war have yet to yield a deal.