TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has fiercely condemned the World Economic Forum (WEF) for revoking his invitation to the Davos summit, pointing out that the organization succumbed to fabricated narratives and intense political pressure from Israel and the U.S.

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

The Iranian top diplomat underscored the country’s defensive actions amid recent unrest, stating there is “one fundamental truth” to the violence: Tehran was compelled to protect its citizens from “armed terrorists and ISIS-style killings openly backed by Mossad.”

He condemned the “sad irony” of the decision, noting that Israel’s campaign in Gaza—with UN experts warning of “plausible genocide” and documenting mass civilian destruction, claiming over 71,500 innocent lives—has prompted no similar exclusions for Israeli figures.

Araghchi pointedly recalled Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s prominent appearance at Davos in January 2024, despite pending Swiss criminal complaints against him over Gaza atrocities.

The diplomat wrote that the WEF’s selective “moral” posturing reveals a “blatant double standard” amounting to “moral depravity and intellectual bankruptcy,” insisting the public deserves unfiltered truth.

On Monday, Iran’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Mahoud Narimani, labeled the disinvitation an “unjustified action” defying diplomatic norms, one that betrays a “fear of Iran’s voice reaching international audiences.” Narimani argued the move erodes the WEF’s legitimacy and undermines Switzerland’s historic neutrality.

Long criticized as a bastion of undemocratic globalism, the WEF is viewed by many as an almost exclusive arena for Western elites advancing neoliberal hegemony at the expense of sovereign nations and the Global South.

Founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, the Geneva-based organization hosts invitation-only annual Davos gatherings attended by billionaire CEOs, heads of state, financiers, and media figures—often derided as a “billionaires’ club.”

Programs such as stakeholder capitalism and the Young Global Leaders initiative, which have placed alumni in high government positions worldwide, are frequently cited by skeptics as tools for embedding corporate influence in national policymaking.

Critics contend that Davos functions less as a neutral forum than as a coordination hub for transnational elite interests, prioritizing private power and supranational agendas over democratic accountability and national sovereignty.