Iran, 12 Other Delegations Boycott Herzog’s Address at Baku Summit, Demand “Israeli” Entity’s Expulsion

By Staff, Agencies

Iran and 12 other delegations walked out of a summit in Baku in protest against an address by “Israeli” President Isaac Herzog, as Tehran called for the regime’s expulsion from the regional forum.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi urged member states of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia [CICA] to expel the “Israeli” entity from the organization.

The walkout was joined by delegations from Palestine, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The 13 delegations accounted for nearly half of the 28 delegations attending the summit.

Addressing the gathering, Gharibabadi described “Israel” as “the main source of insecurity and instability in Asia,” calling on participating countries “not to remain silent over the entity’s crimes.”

The Iranian deputy foreign minister also characterized the United States and “Israel” as “the world’s greatest sources of insecurity and lawlessness,” warning that their aggression could extend to other independent countries if the international community failed to intervene.

Gharibabadi accused Washington of acting as though it stood above international law and undermining established international mechanisms. He also criticized “Israel” for developing various weapons of mass destruction while remaining outside international disarmament and arms-control treaties.

The Iranian official further condemned the “Israeli” entity’s military aggression against neighboring countries and other states across West Asia, describing it as “a symbol of aggression and wrongdoing in the region and beyond.”

CICA was proposed in 1992 by then-Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to promote cooperation, dialogue, and confidence-building measures across Asia.

The protest in Baku echoed a similar demonstration at the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, when delegations from nearly 70 countries reportedly walked out or left their seats vacant as “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address.

Both protests took place amid mounting international condemnation of the “Israeli” entity’s genocidal war on Gaza and the devastating humanitarian consequences for the Palestinian population.

On October 12, the UN Human Rights Office reported that it had verified 1,076 Palestinian deaths in Gaza between the announcement of the so-called ceasefire on October 10, 2025, and the end of July 2026. The verified fatalities included 268 children and 126 women.

The devastation across the besieged Gaza Strip has been extensive. UN assessments indicated that 82 percent of structures in the territory had been damaged by June 2026, leaving residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and essential infrastructure in ruins.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that 74,382 Palestinians have been martyred and 175,416 wounded in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when “Israel” launched its war on the territory.

The coordinated walkout in Baku underscores growing diplomatic opposition to the “Israeli” regime among participating countries, as calls for accountability and international action continue amid the ongoing repercussions of the war on Gaza.