Munich Security Conference disinvites Iran’s top diplomat

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will not attend the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in February, a spokesperson for the event confirmed Friday.

“Several weeks ago, invitations were extended to individual government representatives from Iran. In light of recent developments, the Munich Security Conference will not uphold these invitations,” the spokesperson told POLITICO. 

Araghchi this week described the anti-government demonstrations in Iran — in which thousands of protesters have been killed in a wave of repression driven by the Tehran regime — as “violent riots.”  

It remains unclear whether Iranian opposition representatives will be invited to Munich instead, as has been the case in recent years with figures from Russian civil society.

“As a matter of principle, we do not publish invitation or participant lists prior to the start of the conference. The invitation process is only concluded once the conference begins,” the MSC spokesperson added.

The Munich Security Conference will take place Feb. 14-16 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof.

Chris Lunday contributed to this report.