Speaking at the 52nd Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Baghdad, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi argued that the region's nations hold more than one path toward stability — among them, building a common framework for peace alongside neighbouring states, rather than treating security as something each country can manage in isolation.

At a Saturday session of the OIC ministerial gathering convened in Iraq under the banner of dialogue and solidarity as foundations for peace and sustainable development, Araghchi set out his country's stance on conflicts and tensions spanning the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, Palestine, and Yemen. His visit to Baghdad for the 52nd session brought Araghchi to the airport, where Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister received him upon landing. After arriving at Baghdad International Airport, he travelled to the site honouring the slain commanders Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, pausing there to pay his respects.

Remarks at the gathering's opening included an expression of gratitude toward Iraq — described as a neighbouring and fraternal country — for serving as host, alongside congratulations directed at newly appointed Secretary-General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and an acknowledgement of Türkiye's stewardship of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers during its most recent chairmanship period.

Araghchi pointed out that the OIC came into existence to provide the Islamic Ummah with a unified platform, and that its founding Charter draws on the same bedrock principles embedded in the UN Charter — among them sovereign equality, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and the obligation to refrain from threatening or employing force. He underscored that the principles in question are not the exclusive property of any one nation or coalition of nations.

Araghchi stated that international law and the UN Charter derive their protective force from universal application, adding that selective enforcement undermines that foundation. Over the preceding two years, he argued, Iran had maintained its adherence to diplomatic norms and the Charter's principles, whereas the United States had pursued a contrasting course involving military strikes, threats, targeted killings, and economic pressure in ways he characterised as disregarding those same norms. Iranian authorities placed the number of their nationals killed during that period at around 5,000, among them hundreds of women and children.

The statement attributed responsibility for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader and other senior political and military figures to the United States and Israel, with the speaker describing the act as a breach of international law. Drawing on documented records, he enumerated four specific incidents: the deaths of more than 160 students and teachers in Minab, a cluster-munition strike on Lamerd's stadium, the destruction of a desalination facility on Qeshm island, and an attack on a wedding gathering in Kuhestak, in the Sirik area.

Araghchi told the assembly that the United States and Israel could not absolve themselves of responsibility by inverting who bore the harm and who inflicted it. He expressed gratitude to the member states that had voiced solidarity with the Iranian people and urged the broader organisation to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a founding member under pressure. Iran, he continued, had acted to protect its population and its recognised rights and would keep doing so through whatever means were available, noting that while no aggression had been directed at neighbouring states, strikes had been carried out against United States military bases and installations situated within the region. He closed that portion of his remarks by drawing a distinction between the defence of rights and the pursuit of peace, arguing that an understanding of war's costs was precisely what gave peace its value.

The position he put forward held that uniform application of both rights and obligations across all parties was the only standard being sought, and that a path through armed conflict would not bring the matter to any resolution. He went on to say that constructing lasting peace requires more than the threat of destruction.

Addressing the OIC gathering, Araghchi reiterated that Iran stood by its obligation to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to vessels carrying energy and goods on which many member states depend, adding that the waterway had remained unobstructed through 28 February 2026. He attributed the ongoing instability in maritime navigation to what he described as provocative conduct by the United States and Israel, along with the trade restrictions and coercive measures those governments had put in place, adding that a continuation of those same policies was unlikely to bring calm to the waterways.

Pointing to Qatar's involvement in bringing Iran and the United States into direct talks, Araghchi outlined how Pakistan's mediating role produced the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed on 17 June. He delivered that account alongside his position that aerial bombardment, threats to a country's survival, and a naval blockade are fundamentally at odds with any prospect of maritime passage returning to its prior functioning. Commitments set out in paragraph 5 of the agreement included guaranteeing unimpeded passage for vessels, and technical talks with the Sultanate of Oman got under way without delay.

Shipping volumes along the affected routes climbed back to around three-fifths of their pre-conflict baseline over a span of roughly fourteen days. Araghchi stated that steps taken unilaterally by the United States in the period that followed — including armed action — stood in the way of the agreement taking effect and circumvented the conflict-resolution procedures the accord had laid out.

He told reporters that across a two-year span, attempts at dialogue were repeatedly met with armed force rather than negotiation, leaving a foundation of distrust that would need to be addressed through concrete guarantees before any fresh round of talks could be considered viable — though he added that the door to engagement had nonetheless remained open on his country's side. A seven-day proposal — contingent on specified conditions being met — was relayed to Qatar for onward transmission, outlining a pathway under which the Strait could be reopened and regular vessel passage through it restored within that timeframe. Araghchi conveyed to the assembled ministers that any further movement on the matter depended on a decision from Washington.

Araghchi placed the Palestinian question at the centre of what he described as a shared concern across Muslim-majority countries, arguing that any workable route to peace would need to confront it directly. He further characterised the situation in Gaza as genocide against a civilian population and as an indication that existing international frameworks had not done enough to protect those caught in the conflict. He called on the OIC to treat the protection of civilians and the lifting of the blockade as collective obligations requiring coordinated, concrete steps, noting that a long record of resolutions had yet to bring either the fighting or the restrictions to an end. He also voiced support for a proposal put forward by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calling for an official day of remembrance tied to the Gaza conflict.

Addressing Yemen, Araghchi noted that its population had lived through close to ten years of armed conflict, extended restrictions on civilian infrastructure, and blockades, pointing to roles played by both the United States and Israel. He conveyed that his country backs the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and views an inclusive, comprehensive political process as the only path to lasting stability. He added that no armed resolution exists for the conflict and that enduring peace cannot take hold through the application of force or pressure, and noted further that his country is watching events on the Arabian Peninsula with considerable attention and stands prepared to facilitate dialogue between the parties on the basis of the peace roadmap they had previously endorsed. Araghchi also argued that Yemenis are entitled to conditions that allow them to live without economic coercion, external restrictions, or the constraints of an imposed blockade.

Wrapping up his remarks, Araghchi laid out what he described as a central thesis: lasting security for any nation depends on the stability of its neighbours, not on weakening them. He put forward a position that disputes within the area are best handled by the states that make up that area, rather than becoming grounds for intervention by outside powers. He further expressed the view that every country in the region should keep its land, skies, and infrastructure dedicated to collective security goals, rather than allowing those assets to be used as launching points against neighbouring states, framing the statement as an expression of neighbourly goodwill and shared solidarity.

Araghchi noted that the two populations inhabit a shared geographic space and that arrangements for collective stability tend, in analysts' long-standing assessments, to produce broader benefits than the absence of such arrangements. He conveyed that Tehran stood prepared to engage with neighbouring and fraternal nations toward that outcome, while also making clear that external pressure, threats, or coercive measures would not lead the country to relinquish the rights it holds under its own sovereignty. He closed by noting that a path toward talks grounded in mutual respect and verifiable assurances remained open.

On the margins of the Baghdad gathering, Araghchi held a series of one-on-one meetings in which he laid out his government's stances on the Strait of Hormuz, the Palestinian question, and affairs across the Arabian Peninsula. Bilateral ties, along with developments unfolding at both regional and international levels, formed the core of talks held Saturday morning between Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Iranian counterpart.

Araghchi invoked the founding principles of the OIC to argue that the situation in Palestine remains the foremost concern facing Muslim-majority nations, calling on member states to coordinate a collective response to what he characterised as ongoing military occupation and atrocities, and to address the absence of accountability for those responsible. Addressing the region, he attributed the instability now affecting the Strait of Hormuz to a pattern of conduct by the United States and Israel that, in his view, took hold on 28 February and has persisted in different forms since. He argued that his country had consistently pursued diplomatic channels to ease tensions, while the other party had repeatedly failed to honour its commitments — most recently walking away from a ceasefire accord within a fortnight of it being signed. A conversation with his Egyptian counterpart also covered the state of ongoing diplomatic talks being conducted through intermediary channels.

Speaking during a meeting at the Baghdad gathering, Araghchi put forward Iran's offer to assist in bringing the fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen to an end, adding that a dozen years of hostilities had demonstrated to him that armed force alone holds no path toward resolving the Yemeni situation. Talks between the two sides, held during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, covered bilateral relations along with regional affairs — with the situation in Palestine drawing particular attention.

Drawing on the summit's dual emphasis on dialogue and solidarity, Araghchi called on member states across the Muslim world to place the Palestinian cause at the forefront of their shared priorities and shift from statements of intent toward tangible action — including measures to address what he characterised as Israeli violations and to support the Palestinian people's right to shape their own political path. Talks between the two sides also touched on deploying OIC resources to address obstacles confronting Muslim-majority nations, with both parties underlining the value of deeper coordination across member states. Araghchi walked his Turkish counterpart through the trajectory of events unfolding across the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, adding that dimension to the broader agenda under discussion.

Libya's acting Foreign Minister Taher al-Baour met with his counterpart from Tehran, with the two sides reviewing the state of bilateral relations and agreeing to deepen their channels of consultation. Araghchi put forward the view that safeguarding a nation's sovereignty, territorial cohesion, and unity — alongside halting outside interference — remains foundational, and he added that durable peace across North Africa depends on Libya first achieving its own internal security and stability. Talks between the two parties extended to unfolding events across the region and throughout the broader Muslim world.

On the margins of the Baghdad gathering, Araghchi held a separate session with his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Raji, covering both the state of relations between their two countries and broader developments across the region.