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The World Economic Forum (WEF) is under pressure to exclude Iranian regime representatives from its upcoming gathering in Davos.
The advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has reached out to WEF President Borge Brende, urging the organization to refrain from inviting any officials from Iran’s Islamic Republic. Despite this plea, and according to UANI’s statements to Fox News Digital, the forum did not reply and instead included a scheduled interview with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the summit’s itinerary on Sunday.
Fox News Digital reached out to WEF for comments but received no immediate response.
Mark Wallace, CEO of UANI and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during George W. Bush’s presidency, highlighted reports from human rights groups about the extensive civilian casualties caused by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime.
Klaus Schwab, Founder of the World Economic Forum, addresses attendees at the annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, file)
Wallace informed Brende, “In recent weeks, the Iranian regime has been accused of conducting one of the most severe massacres in its history. Araghchi, as a member of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was allegedly involved in authorizing the use of live ammunition against Iranian civilians protesting. Reports estimate that between 12,000 and 20,000 Iranians were killed within a few days in January as they exercised their basic right to protest against the Ayatollah’s oppressive rule.”
“Hosting Iranian regime officials, such as Araghchi, who whitewash this record is deeply offensive and would be wholly inappropriate to platform at a Forum whose theme this year is ‘A Spirit of Dialogue.’ Instead of dialogue, the Islamic Republic offered bullets to these brave Iranians,” Wallace continued.
People gather during a protest against the Iranian regime on Jan. 8, 2026, in Tehran. (Anonymous/Getty Images)
Iran’s supreme leader publicly acknowledged for the first time Saturday that thousands of people were killed during recent anti-government protests, according to reporting from the BBC.
Khamenei made the remarks during a public address Saturday, blaming the U.S. for the unrest and violence and saying some protesters died “in an inhuman, savage manner.”
Protesters burn images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally held in solidarity with Iran’s uprising in London Jan. 11, 2026. (Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, though Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll and other estimates have been higher.
Videos authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Verify show Iranian security forces firing on demonstrators during the unrest.
Trump told Politico on Saturday that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” after being read a series of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X account accusing the president of responsibility for the violence.
Iran protests death toll spiked in recent days as human rights groups say thousands of people have been killed. (MAHSA/ Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
“What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” Trump said, according to Politico. “Leadership is about respect, not fear and death.”
