After WEF cancels his appearance at Davos, Iranian FM Araghchi blames Israel, US pressure

The World Economic Forum on Monday withdrew a previously extended invitation for Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to attend the summit in Davos, Switzerland. 

The WEF also announced the decision in a post on social media, writing, “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.” 

Shortly after the cancellation, Araghchi blamed Israel and groups in the United States.

“WEF cancelled my appearance in Davos on the basis of lies and political pressure from Israel and its U.S.-based proxies and apologists,” Araghchi wrote on 𝕏. 

He then reiterated the Islamic Republic’s narrative regarding the unrest and protests, accusing Israel of violence.

“There is one fundamental truth to the recent violence in Iran: We had to defend our people against armed terrorists and ISIS-style killings openly backed by Mossad,” he stated. 

The Iranian regime initially denied its forces were shooting at protesters, eventually locking down the Internet before launching a crackdown. According to a report by a group of physicians in Iran, the number of people killed during the weeks-long protests is over 16,000.

Following the release of images and videos depicting hundreds of bodies in streets, morgues, and hospitals, the regime altered its narrative, asserting that many of the dead were “terrorists” backed by outside influences.

Araghchi accused the WEF of double standards, noting that it did not ban Israeli officials, including President Isaac Herzog, from attending during the Gaza War, which he called the “genocide” of Palestinians. 

“If WEF wants to feign a supposedly ‘moral’ stance, that is its prerogative,” Araghchi continued. “But it should at least be consistent about it. The current blatant double standard only conveys moral depravity and intellectual bankruptcy.” 

He concluded with a statement that appeared to stand in stark contrast to the regime's decision to restrict access to the internet and international news sources. “People have the right to know the truth and judge for themselves. Shame is solely reserved for those who think otherwise,” Araghchi wrote.

Herzog’s office responded sharply to the post, noting the difference in the behavior of the two governments towards their citizens. 

“The same murderous Iranian regime massacring its own people day after day, executing innocent women and men for daring to call for their freedom, and spreading terror and death across the Middle East is in no position to lecture others on ‘morality,’" the statement read. 

President @Isaac_Herzog: “The same murderous Iranian regime massacring its own people day after day, executing innocent women and men for daring to call for their freedom, and spreading terror and death across the Middle East is in no position to lecture others on 'morality.'… https://t.co/RMqHJSOpXY

— Office of the President of Israel (@IsraelPresident) January 20, 2026

“International condemnation of the Iranian regime is not the result of political pressure, but of a simple and undeniable truth: the Iranian regime is the head of the snake that arms, funds, and directs Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist proxies committing crimes against humanity,” the Israeli president’s office continued.

“While President Herzog represents a democracy that defends its citizens and the free world against murderous terrorism, Iran’s foreign minister represents a brutal and tyrannical regime that attempts to mask its heinous crimes with hollow rhetoric.”