Iran's Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi Sparks Global Calls for Regime Change at Munich Rally

The **Munich Security Conference (MSC)** is the world's premier forum for debating international security policy, fostering trust and conflict resolution through informal dialogue among over 500 global decision-makers annually in February.[2][5][8] Founded in 1963 by Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist as the "Internationale Wehrkunde-Begegnung," it began as a modest transatlantic gathering of NATO allies amid the Cold War, focusing on Western defense strategies with audiences limited to dozens.[1][7] Post-Cold War, under leaders like Horst Teltschik, the MSC expanded dramatically, inviting voices from Central/Eastern Europe and Russia to adapt to a multipolar world.[1] It evolved into a "marketplace of ideas," embracing a broad security concept that spans military threats, economics, environment, and human rights, while retaining its transatlantic core.[2][5] Beyond the flagship Munich event, it hosts specialized gatherings, publishes the influential Munich Security Report, and operates from offices in Munich, Berlin, and Washington, DC.[5][7] Key achievements include pioneering high-level diplomatic breakthroughs, such as informal summits that have shaped alliances and spotlighted emerging crises—from Ukraine's 2014 annexation to climate-security links.[2][4] Its 60th anniversary in 2023 highlighted six decades of "Munich Moments," underscoring dialogue's role in peace-building, though acknowledging words' limits against aggression.[2] Today, the MSC remains highly relevant amid fracturing alliances and global tensions. The 61st edition (February 2025) grappled with "multipolarization," featuring U.S. calls for Europe to boost Ukraine aid and defense spending, Zelenskyy-Vance meetings, and transatlantic strains under Trump's second term—echoing historical echoes like 1938's Munich Agreement.[3][4][6] For business and tech leaders, i