Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Iraqi capital at the head of a diplomatic delegation to attend the fifty-second meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The two-day meeting is being held on 17 and 18 October under the official slogan “Dialogue and solidarity for peace and sustainable progress”, but the prevailing atmosphere is far more complex than its slogan-like charter.
Araghchi’s bilateral consultations with his regional counterparts on the sidelines of this 57-member meeting are taking place as the Middle East faces multifaceted crises, from the continuation of the Yemen crisis and rising tensions between Tehran and Washington to serious international concerns about energy security and transport routes.
However, the most important challenge for Tehran’s representatives in Baghdad will be facing possible criticism from some Arab governments. Following recent military movements and missile and drone attacks by the Resistance Front, Baghdad’s platform is expected to become a venue for Arab countries to express their concerns and directly criticise the regional policies of the Islamic Republic.
