Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticised the 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC), accusing organisers of prioritising “performance over substance” and turning the event into a “circus” when it comes to Iran.
The conference withdrew invitations for senior Iranian officials following three weeks of nationwide protests in Iran.
Instead, organisers invited Reza Pahlavi — son of the exiled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution — who holds no governing influence in Iran.
Pahlavi attended a rally, gave interviews to international media, and urged US President Donald Trump to bomb Iran so he could return to power.
In a post on X, Araghchi wrote, “Sad to see the usually serious Munich Security Conference turned into the ‘Munich Circus’ when it comes to Iran. The EU appears confused, rooted in an inability to understand what is happening inside Iran… An aimless EU has lost all geopolitical weight in our region.”
He described the EU as an “empty-handed and peripheral” force that is irrelevant to serious international negotiations, particularly on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Despite deploying a naval armada and intensifying military pressure, US President Donald Trump has expressed a preference for a negotiated nuclear deal with Iran rather than war.
Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he has “no intentions of starting a war with Iran” and would be satisfied with a diplomatic settlement.
Earlier this week, however, Trump described regime change in the Islamic Republic as “the best thing that could happen.”
Russia and China have described the current escalation between the US and Iran as “potentially explosive” and called for a peaceful resolution through dialogue.
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