Araqchi Ishaq Dar Meeting Eyed as OIC Gathers in Baghdad
Iran and Pakistan are set to hold fresh talks on regional peace, as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia raise fears of a wider conflict.
Islamabad – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – All eyes are on a possible Araqchi Ishaq Dar meeting this weekend, as Iran and Pakistan prepare to hold fresh talks on regional peace in Baghdad. Iran’s state news agency IRNA shared the news on Thursday.
The talks will take place on the sidelines of a meeting of Islamic foreign ministers. It comes at a tense time for the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will travel to Iraq on Saturday. He will attend the 52nd session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers. The meeting will run on October 17 and 18.
Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye are also expected to attend, IRNA said.
According to the agency, key regional players, including Tehran and Islamabad, will hold new consultations in Baghdad.
However, the report did not say if Araqchi will hold a separate meeting with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. It also did not name the topics they may discuss.
The talks come as tension keeps rising. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian and energy sites. One strike hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and caused deaths. Another attack targeted the Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dhahran.
These attacks have raised fears of a bigger regional fight.
Pakistan sits in a delicate spot. It has helped carry messages between Washington and Tehran. At the same time, it has a collective defense deal with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The three countries signed the deal in August. Under it, an attack on one is treated as an attack on all three. Since then, they have talked about ways to improve their defense coordination.
Meanwhile, the wider peace effort remains stuck. The US-Iran war began in February after American and Israeli strikes on Iran. Talks to end it have stalled over the Strait of Hormuz and the terms of a final settlement.
The war has hurt global energy supplies and put pressure on regional economies.
Iran said this week that it is studying Washington’s reply to its plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway is a vital route for world energy. Tehran said it would share its position through go-betweens.
The Baghdad meeting will also cover the Palestinian crisis, Yemen and other conflicts in the region. The OIC has urged member states to make stronger joint efforts to bring back stability.
For now, no new peace plan or negotiating framework has been announced. Still, the gathering gives regional governments another chance to test diplomatic options.
Whether an Araqchi Ishaq Dar meeting happens or not, the Baghdad sidelines may show how far Iran and Pakistan can push for calm. Observers will also watch how Pakistan balances its role as a mediator with its duties to Saudi Arabia.
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