Munich Hosts 62nd Security Conference Opening Amid Tight Measures

Munich Hosts 62nd Security Conference Opening Amid Tight Measures

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Friday, February 13, 2026

Munich Security Conference logo
Official logo of the Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz (MSC)

The 62nd Munich Security Conference began today, February 13, 2026, at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, Germany. The annual event brings together political leaders, military officials, and security experts from around the world to discuss issues of global peace and security.

Over 1,000 participants from 120 countries are expected to attend this year’s meeting, including more than 60 heads of state and government as well as around 100 foreign and defense ministers. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will officially open the conference, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to speak on Saturday. Other guests include Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former Shah, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Representatives of the Iranian government were not invited.

Hotel Bayerischer Hof, München
Image: Henning Schlottmann (Wikimedia Commons)

.The event is protected by around 5,000 police officers, with reinforcements coming not only from German states but also from neighboring countries. Because the conference coincides with the Carnival season, police resources in other regions are limited. Several streets and parts of Munich’s city center, including the area around the hotel, are closed to traffic and pedestrians.

Numerous demonstrations are planned throughout the weekend, some opposing the conference itself and others advocating for human rights in Iran.

The Munich Security Conference was first held in 1963 under the name “International Meeting on Military Science,” founded by German officer and anti-Nazi resistance member Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist. Over the decades, it has evolved into one of the most important global forums on foreign and security policy. The conference does not adopt official resolutions; instead, it aims to foster open dialogue and informal meetings among international representatives.


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