Araqchi, who has traveled to Baghdad to attend the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Saturday evening to discuss bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.
The Iranian foreign minister thanked the Iraqi government and people for hosting the OIC meeting, stressing the importance of making greater use of the organization’s capacities to address issues facing the Muslim world, particularly the Palestinian issue and the Israeli regime’s expansionism and warmongering.
Highlighting the strong ties between the two neighboring Muslim countries, Araqchi reaffirmed Iran’s determination to further strengthen relations with Iraq in all areas of mutual interest.
Explaining Iran’s positions on peace and stability in West Asia, Araqchi said the root cause of insecurity in the region is the Israeli regime’s occupation and expansionism. He noted that over the past three years, the Zionist regime has carried out military aggression against Lebanon, Syria and Iran while committing genocide in Palestine, thereby endangering global peace and security.
Araqchi also underscored Iran’s commitment to diplomacy as a means of preventing further insecurity, noting that it is the United States that has repeatedly disrupted diplomatic processes through breaches of commitments and the use of force, leading to insecurity in international commercial shipping.
The Iranian foreign minister and the Iraqi prime minister also discussed the Saudi Arabia-Yemen conflict, ways to help end the naval blockade of Yemen, and efforts to de-escalate tensions.