World Economic Forum invites Iranian foreign minister to Davos after regime slaughter of Iranian civilians
The World Economic Forum is facing calls to freeze out members of the Iranian regime from an upcoming summit in Davos this week.
The Iran watchdog group United Against Nuclear Iran sent a letter to WEF President Borge Brende on Friday urging the group not to invite any officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The group tells Fox News Digital that WEF did not respond to the letter, and instead the forum added an interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to the summit’s schedule on Sunday.
WEF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
UANI CEO Mark Wallace, who previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, cited human rights group reports regarding the mass slaughter of Iranian civilians by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime.
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“Just this month, the Iranian regime has carried out what some believe to be the largest massacre in its history,” Wallace wrote to Brende. “Araghchi is a member of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which reportedly issued an order to use live fire on Iranian civilians protesting. Estimates suggest the regime killed at least 12,000 and up to 20,000 Iranians over the course of a few days in January as they exercised their fundamental rights to demonstrate against the Ayatollah and his tyranny.”
“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.
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.
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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.”
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.
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“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.”
Read Wallace’s full letter to the WEF below (App users click here)
Trump’s leadership creates ‘rare opportunity’ for change in Iran, former Iranian political prisoner says
Former Iranian political prisoner Navid Mohebbi said President Donald Trump’s strong stance in confronting the government of Iran has presented a rare and potentially historic opportunity for change, as protesters challenge what he described as one of the world’s most brutal governments.
Mohebbi argued that the scale of unrest inside Iran, combined with U.S. leadership he believes has already demonstrated a willingness to stand up to Tehran, has placed the country at a turning point, with consequences for Iran’s future, U.S. national security and global stability.
“What’s happening right now is a historical test, not just for Iran, but for the entire world,” Mohebbi said Saturday on “My View with Lara Trump,” arguing that Trump’s actions in the coming days could change the course of history.
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“This is one of those moments that, in my opinion, will be written about for generations to come,” he added. “I think President Trump’s legacy is on the line here as well, and in the best possible way. I think his administration has a rare opportunity to redefine America’s global leadership by standing up with the people that are begging for freedom.”
He said Trump faces a rare, legacy-defining opportunity to both stand with Iranians seeking freedom and advance U.S. interests by “weakening a regime that funds terrorism, destabilizes the Middle East and threatens… global security, including President Trump’s life.”
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Mohebbi alleged that millions of Iranians had taken to the streets and that security forces had killed “more than 12,000 and up to 20,000 people.”
The 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 nationwide internet shutdowns have made independent verification difficult.
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Mohebbi pointed to Trump’s past confrontations with Tehran, including the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani and more recent strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“Today, Americans can really see why that mattered. If a regime is capable of slaughtering 20,000 of its own people, you can only imagine what it would do with a nuclear weapon.”
Iran’s supreme leader acknowledges thousands killed as Trump calls for new leadership: reports
Iran’s supreme leader has publicly acknowledged for the first time that thousands of people were killed during recent anti-government protests, according to reporting from the BBC, as President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric and called for new leadership in Iran.
Ayatollah Ali 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,” the BBC reported.
The protests, which began in late December over economic conditions, later expanded into calls for an end to Iran’s ruling system.
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.
According to the BBC, nationwide internet shutdowns have made independent verification difficult, with connectivity dropping to roughly 2% of normal levels, citing data from cyber monitoring group NetBlocks.
A ‘TEAR DOWN THE WALL’ MOMENT IN IRAN WILL DAMAGE BOTH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC — AND CHINA
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.
“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.”
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Trump went further in personal terms, telling Politico, “The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people.”
“His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership,” Trump added.
Trump has previously urged Iranians to continue protesting and “take over institutions,” saying that “help is on its way,” according to Politico. The president later said he had been informed that the killings had stopped.
“The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” Trump told Politico, when asked about the scope of potential U.S. military action.
In a series of X posts, Khamenei accused Trump of responsibility for the violence, writing, “We find the US President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation.”
In another post, Khamenei claimed, “The US’s goal is to devour Iran.”
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Trump has said in recent days he was looking at “very strong options,” including possible military involvement.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.