Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will not attend the Raisina Dialogue in India after the organisers posted a video of mass protests in the country, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.
The annual geopolitical meeting, to be hosted next month by the Indian Foreign Ministry and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), brings together global policymakers including ministers and representatives of the private sector, academia and media.
"The Foreign Minister's attendance was on the agenda ... but we witnessed an unprofessional action by the organisers in the form of a clip," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a televised news conference.
A video posted on the ORF website includes footage of Iranian women cutting their hair in protest against the regime's strict hijab rules.
"Iran and India are committed to non-interference in each other's internal affairs," Mr Kanaani added.
Mass protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a Kurd arrested in September after wearing her hijab "inappropriately", have posed one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s clerical establishment. Many western states have imposed sanctions following a harsh state crackdown in which hundreds of protesters were killed and thousands arrested.
No Iranian official was invited to attend the Munich Security Conference at the weekend, leaving the stage open for prominent members of the opposition such as the son of Iran's late monarch.
Mr Kanaani criticised the organisers for inviting Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah who was overthrown during Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, to the conference.
"Inviting the son of a deposed and fugitive dictator to the Munich conference is a mockery of the great nation of Iran," he said.
He said the organisers had made a "huge mistake" in "giving the stage to notorious people".
Conference president Christoph Heusgen said he had not invited Iran to attend due to the crackdown on the protests.
Mr Pahlavi, 62, now lives in the United States. He is accused by some of having failed to distance himself from the authoritarian rule of his father, of lacking transparency on his idea for government and for not acting against pro-monarchy supporters on social media.
He has insisted he is not seeking a return to monarchy but says he wants to play a role in creating a secular democratic system in Iran.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
