Speaking to reporters in Baghdad on Sunday, Araqchi said serious discussions have taken place on Yemen, with Saudi Arabia and other countries presenting their positions.
He said the proposed resolution has not yet been finalized and expressed hope that fairness and balance would be reflected in both the resolution and the meeting’s final communiqué.
Araqchi also discussed the OIC’s role in resolving disputes among Muslim countries, Iran’s relations with Lebanon, Tehran’s proposed seven-day plan presented to the US, and Iran’s readiness for both defense and diplomacy.
The Iranian foreign minister said the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting was a regular annual gathering, with Iraq assuming the rotating presidency this year. He stressed that Iraq, as a friendly neighboring country, is important to Iran and that its success in leading the organization could have considerable significance.
He said the OIC is expected to play a constructive role in resolving disputes among Muslim countries.
Araqchi noted that the final resolution and statement have not yet been issued. He said Iranian diplomats have been working over the preceding days to participate in discussions on all resolutions, adding that almost all of them repeated the previous year’s texts.
On Yemen, Araqchi said Saudi Arabia has presented its views, while Iran and other countries have also expressed their positions. He said some countries in the organization are closely aligned with Saudi Arabia, but Iran has conducted extensive lobbying efforts and he has emphasized the need for a solution in his speech.
“We hope fairness and balance will be observed in this resolution and the final communiqué. Naturally, if this does not happen, the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot join this resolution,” he said.
Asked about his meeting with the Lebanese foreign minister, Araqchi described it as “very respectful, but entirely serious and frank.”
He acknowledged significant differences in perspective between Iran and Lebanon’s current government over how to address various issues. However, he said both sides agree that government-to-government relations, as well as relations between Iran and Lebanon as a whole, should receive attention and be developed.
“I emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran is interested in having comprehensive political, economic and cultural relations with Lebanon as a country,” Araqchi said, adding that Lebanon’s internal affairs are a matter for the Lebanese people themselves.
He said any decisions made by Lebanon’s political groups, including Hezbollah, would naturally involve actors that play a role in the country’s internal affairs. Araqchi described Hezbollah as one of Lebanon’s most important political groups and “an undeniable reality in Lebanese society.”
“Whatever decisions they make, it is natural that they will not face opposition from the Islamic Republic of Iran, because these are Lebanon’s internal affairs,” he said.
Turning to Iran-US relations and the Strait of Hormuz, Araqchi said Tehran’s position is clear and has been conveyed to Washington in the form of a seven-day plan. He said the US has submitted its views in response and Iran is still preparing its reply.
“From our point of view, the seven-day plan remains on the table,” he said.
Araqchi added that if the US acts in good faith — which he said it has not done — a path forward will be available. “If they comply with those conditions, the Strait (of Hormuz) will be opened on the sixth day, and negotiations will begin on the seventh day,” he said.
The foreign minister concluded by saying, “We are more prepared than before to defend ourselves. At the same time, we are ready to pursue diplomacy, provided it is conducted with dignity and honor and secures the rights of the Iranian nation.”