Iranian FM to skip Davos over recent civilian deaths during protests

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will not attend this year’s annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, organisers said, citing recent civilian deaths in Iran.

According to the WEF’s X account, although the Iranian official was invited last fall, the recent tragic killing of civilians in Iran makes it inappropriate for him to represent the Iranian government at Davos this year, Caliber.Az reports.

The Iranian Foreign Minister will not be attending Davos.
Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian government to be represented at Davos this year. pic.twitter.com/NRjbqAoqe9

— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 19, 2026

The decision followed a call by the US-based group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) to withdraw Araghchi’s invitation. UANI argued that Tehran should not be given an international platform amid ongoing repression.

This development comes as the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is set to take place January 19–23, 2026, in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. 

The gathering, held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” brings together close to 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries, including a record number of political leaders—with nearly 65 heads of state and government—as well as around 850 top CEOs, unicorn founders, and technology pioneers. 

The meeting also includes civil society representatives, labour groups, youth leaders, and cultural figures, reflecting the Forum’s emphasis on multi-stakeholder dialogue.

By Jeyhun Aghazada