WEF Revokes Iran FM Invitation Over Protest Crackdown

The World Economic Forum announced on Monday that it had revoked an invitation to Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, citing the recent deadly crackdown on antigovernment protests across the country. The decision came days before the summit, scheduled for January 19 to 23, where global leaders and executives gather to address pressing international issues under the theme of fostering dialogue.

Araghchi, who had been invited last fall and was set to participate in an interview on Tuesday, will not attend, the forum stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "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," the organization said. The move followed mounting pressure from human rights advocates and international figures urging the forum to exclude Iranian representatives amid reports of widespread violence.

The protests erupted in late December in Tehran, triggered by economic hardships including a sharp depreciation of the national currency and deteriorating living conditions....