Munich Conference: We Withdrew the Invitation to Prince Reza Pahlavi After Consulting the German Government

In response to a question from the Persian section of Voice of America in Germany, the Munich Security Conference provided contradictory statements regarding the 'withdrawal' of the invitation to Prince Reza Pahlavi, confirming that they had decided not to formally invite him after consulting with the German federal government. Officials from the conference told Voice of America that Christoph Heusgen, the head of the Munich Security Conference, had 'previously informally' invited Prince Reza Pahlavi to participate in the conference, but 'after consulting with the federal government, Mr. Heusgen decided not to formalize the invitation.' According to the media team of the Munich Security Conference, 'Iranian opposition members or representatives of civil society have regularly been guests at this conference. Reza Pahlavi last attended in 2023 in Munich. An invitation to this year's Munich Security Conference has been sent to Masih Alinejad, who has also been a guest at the conference in the past.' These statements contradict previous claims made by the conference and the German government. Earlier, the Munich Security Conference had stated on February 8 in response to widespread political and media criticism regarding the absence of Prince Reza Pahlavi's name from the list of invitees to this important event, that the invitation for him to attend the meeting remained valid. A spokesperson for the Munich Security Conference had told Voice of America in Germany, 'An invitation for Mr. Pahlavi to participate in the Munich Security Conference 2025 has been issued and remains valid.' Prior to that, Prince Reza Pahlavi had announced that the German government had prevented his attendance at the meeting. Subsequently, the German Foreign Ministry claimed in response to Voice of America's inquiries that the conference independently decides on its invitations. This claim contradicts the recent response from the Munich Security Conference to Voice of America. Nevertheless, the German Foreign Ministry insisted on its claim of 'non-interference' in response to follow-up inquiries from Voice of America. The German Foreign Ministry told Voice of America, 'Naturally, the federal government is in continuous communication with the Munich Security Conference. However, this conference independently decides on its invitees. According to our information, Iranian opposition figures have also been invited to the Munich Security Conference.' On Thursday, February 15, Prince Reza Pahlavi announced in a post on the social media platform 'X' that 'for the second time in two weeks,' the invitation for him to participate in the Munich Security Conference has been withdrawn. He stated that this matter was done 'at the behest of the German government and under the threat of the Islamic Republic regime.' Prince Reza Pahlavi described this action as 'a betrayal of the Iranian people and the democratic values of Germany,' saying, 'The German government has not only silenced the voice of the Iranian people but has actively executed the demands of the Islamic Republic.' He added that the German government 'has preferred to appease a dictatorial regime that kills its own citizens, takes Europeans hostage, and supports terrorism, rather than supporting those who fight for freedom.' Prince Reza Pahlavi further stated, 'The regime's helplessness in preventing my presence at the Munich Conference demonstrates its weakness, to the extent that now Berlin is engaged in censorship on their behalf.' He noted the resilience and strength of the Iranian people, saying, 'They will remember who colluded with their oppressors.' The earlier announcement of the lack of an invitation for Prince Reza Pahlavi led to widespread criticism. Among those criticizing this action was Joe Wilson, a Republican member of the U.S. Congress, who described it as 'an insult to Iranians fighting for freedom and peace.' He called on the German Foreign Ministry to reconsider this decision. Joe Wilson emphasized that 'silencing dissenting voices contradicts the goals of the Munich Security Conference' and urged the organizers of the meeting to allow Iranian opposition figures to participate. The Munich Security Conference is held every February regarding international security policies by a non-governmental organization in Germany, and although no decisions are made at this conference, comments, discussions, and political meetings occur there. This aspect makes the conference one of the most important international events in the field of global security.