Delegations from over ten countries walk out of Israeli president's CICA summit speech

What Happened

Delegates from more than 10 countries, including Turkey, walked out of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday as Israeli President Isaac Herzog began his speech, according to the report. The article did not specify a stated reason for the walkouts. After the speech, Iran's deputy legal affairs minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, called for Israel to be expelled from CICA, telling Iran's IRIB news that 'sustainable security' in Asia was not achieved through 'threats and pressure' and that Israel is the 'most important source of insecurity and instability in Asia, especially in West Asia.'

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The walkout and Iran's call for expulsion signal a coordinated diplomatic rebuke of Israel at a multilateral Asian security forum, reflecting deepening regional isolation for Israel amid the Gaza war. Iran is using CICA to frame Israel as a source of instability and to build support for excluding it from the body, which could further limit Israel's engagement with non-Western states.

Watch For

Monitor whether CICA member states formally take up Iran's expulsion call, any response from Azerbaijan as summit host or from the Israeli Foreign Ministry or President Herzog, and whether other delegations issue statements explaining or joining the walkout. Also watch for similar protests at upcoming multilateral summits involving Israel.