Araghchi Tells Iraq's PM Washington Disrupted Diplomacy And Caused Maritime Insecurity
Iranian FM meets PM al-Zaidi on the sidelines of the 52nd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad, the first time the meeting has been held in Iraq in 45 years, also holding bilateral talks with Turkish FM Fidan and Egyptian FM Abdelatty as regional crises dominate the agenda
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Baghdad on Sunday emphasizing Iran's appreciation for Iraq's diplomatic role in preventing the escalation of insecurity, and telling al-Zaidi that the United States disrupted diplomacy and caused maritime insecurity in the region, Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed.
Araghchi stressed Iran's appreciation for the role of diplomacy in preventing the escalation of insecurity and told al-Zaidi that America disrupted diplomacy and was responsible for the maritime insecurity affecting the region, the Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
The OIC Context
Araghchi's meeting with al-Zaidi took place on the sidelines of the 52nd session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Baghdad on October 17 and 18, 2026, the first time the meeting has been held in Iraq in 45 years. The meeting is being held under the theme Dialogue and Solidarity: Two Essential Pillars for Promoting Peace and Sustainable Development, with regional crises including the US-Iran war, the situation in Gaza, and Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia topping the agenda. Representatives of all OIC member states attended alongside a representative of the UN Secretary-General and representatives of 40 international organizations.
Araghchi arrived in Baghdad on Saturday morning and was received at Baghdad International Airport by Iraq's deputy foreign minister. During his visit he addressed the OIC meeting and held bilateral talks with multiple counterparts. He held meetings with the foreign ministers of Türkiye and Egypt, Hakan Fidan and Badr Abdelatty, on the sidelines of the meeting.
Araghchi said Iran was ready to help stop the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, and that a military solution was not an option to end the years-long civil war in Yemen.
Iraq As Diplomatic Ground
Araghchi's visit to Baghdad for the OIC meeting places him in the Iraqi capital for the second time in weeks, following his departure from New York after the UNGA diplomatic marathon in late September during which he met Qatari and Pakistani mediators carrying messages between Tehran and Washington on the seven-day Hormuz reopening proposal. The visit to Baghdad and the bilateral with al-Zaidi allow Araghchi to reinforce Tehran's framing of the conflict directly with the Iraqi prime minister who is simultaneously managing Washington's militia disarmament demands, dollar transfer conditionality, and his own diplomatic balancing act between the two warring parties.
Araghchi's characterization of the United States as having disrupted diplomacy and caused maritime insecurity, delivered directly to Iraq's prime minister, is a pointed message at a moment when al-Zaidi is navigating the post-coalition security environment with no American military forces on Iraqi soil, an Iranian foreign minister sitting across from him, and a June 2027 militia disarmament deadline hanging over the bilateral relationship with Washington.
Pakistan and Iran were expected to hold new consultations on regional peace efforts at the OIC meeting, with fresh consultations among key regional players including Tehran and Islamabad taking place on the sidelines of the Baghdad gathering.