Iranian President Hassan Rouhani came to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a long time critic of Iran's nuclear program, will also be in attendance.
At the annual conference, which attracts world business and political leaders, it is anticipated that the Iranian nuclear deal will be a major topic, along with the developments in Syria. On Monday, the US formally lifted select sanctions on Iran, claiming Iran is taking step to curb back its nuclear program.
Netanyahu, accompanied by President Shimon Peres and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, may very well encounter Rouhani at the conference, notes Yedioth Aharonoth. The paper speculates Rouhani will take advantage of the event to raise investments in the Islamic regime.
Rouhani has been seen as successfully redirecting pressure on Iran towards Israel, with experts saying he has turned the tables and isolated Israel in a matter of months through his "charm offensive." Last week Rouhani gloated on Twitter "In Geneva agreement world powers surrendered to Iranian nation's will."
However, the unchanging brutal nature of his regime was exposed again this week, as statistics show 2 hangings have occurred in Iran daily since the start of 2014 for "political crimes."
While Rouhani's participation in the conference has raised eyebrows, the founder and executive chairman of the conference Klaus Martin Schwab noted Iran needs to prove itself before getting investors.
"We have to create a reality which will allow the building of trust between players, and only in the next stage can we really talk business," said Schwab.
The UN released figures on world poverty in time for the exclusive financial conference. The figures state 375 million people lived on less than $1.25 a day in 2013, while 839 million lived on less than $2 a day. That figure was reportedly 1.1 billion in 2000.