The US-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has urged the World Economic Forum (WEF) to rescind an invitation to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi after the forum listed him as a speaker at its annual meeting in Davos.

According to the WEF website, Araghchi is scheduled to take part in a session titled “How can we cooperate in a more contested world?” on Jan. 20, moderated by Financial Times editor Roula Khalaf.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at UANI, said in a post on X that the group had sent a letter to WEF organizers regarding Araghchi’s participation.

“The message WEF is sending is that you can shoot Iranians in the eyes and genitals, murder thousands of them, and shut off the internet for your people, but still be welcomed in Davos that same month,” Brodsky wrote.

Brodsky also shared a copy of the letter that UANI CEO Mark D. Wallace wrote to World Economic Forum President and CEO Børge Brende.

In the letter, Wallace wrote that UANI was seeking confirmation on whether Araghchi or any other Iranian official had been invited to Davos, and urged the forum to withdraw any such invitation.

This comes as Swiss officials say their long-standing intermediary role between Washington and Tehran will be active during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“We are in principle the communication channel between Washington and Tehran,” Monika Schmutz Kirgöz, head of the Middle East and North Africa division at Switzerland’s foreign ministry, said in an interview with Swiss broadcaster SRF.

“The communication channels are open in both directions,” she said, adding that Switzerland was available to mediate under its US protecting power mandate.

Asked whether Switzerland’s role would come into play in Davos, Monika Schmutz Kirgöz confirmed that it would.

“We have the World Economic Forum next week. US President Trump will be there. And we also have a high-ranking Iranian delegation attending the WEF in Davos,” she added.