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- Suggested slug: dar-iranian-fm-baghdad-oic-meeting-october-2026
- Category: National News
- Focus keyphrase: Ishaq Dar Iran call
- SEO title: Ishaq Dar Iran Call: OIC Baghdad Talks, Regional Situation
- Meta description: Ishaq Dar spoke with Iran’s Abbas Araghchi on Sunday about the regional situation and the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting in Baghdad, the FO said.
- Tags: ishaq dar, abbas araghchi, oic, baghdad, pakistan iran relations, saudi arabia, r-4 framework, diplomacy
- Original element: own data point — Pakistan’s documented balancing act from our own coverage (condemned US/Israeli strikes on Iran AND Iranian strikes on Gulf states; Makkah Joint Defence Agreement Aug 7; R-4 framework) explains why Sunday’s call matters beyond protocol.
- Source: Tribune Pakistan (“FM Dar, Iranian FM discuss regional situation, OIC meeting in Baghdad”, 18 Oct 2026), cross-verified with IRNA, PTI/ThePrint and Dunya News
- Image: hourly-0032-dar-araghchi-oic-baghdad.webp (1200×675 WebP, 47KB) — Dar and Araghchi shaking hands; image_title “ishaq dar abbas araghchi handshake”, image_alt “Ishaq Dar Iran call – Deputy PM Ishaq Dar with Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi”, image_caption “Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Image: Tribune”, image_credit “Image: Tribune”
Dar, Iranian FM Discuss Regional Situation as OIC Foreign Ministers Meet in Baghdad
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke by telephone with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, in an Ishaq Dar Iran call centred on the regional situation and the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting under way in Baghdad.
The Foreign Office said the two leaders discussed “the evolving regional situation” and “the ongoing OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Baghdad”. Dar “underscored the importance of continued dialogue and diplomacy in addressing regional challenges”, the statement added, and both sides agreed to maintain close contact.
What the Ishaq Dar Iran call covered
The call came as Araghchi travelled to Baghdad for the 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held on October 17 and 18. Iran’s IRNA news agency said the session would allow consultations between key regional players, including Islamabad and Tehran.
Pakistan and Iran were expected to hold further consultations on regional peace efforts on the meeting’s sidelines. The call followed weeks of escalation: Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saudi airports in Riyadh and Abha this month, and the continuing US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.
On October 9, the military’s media chief, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Pakistan remained committed to a “negotiated and peaceful outcome” and warned against the conflict spreading further across the region. He said Pakistan had condemned attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, as well as Iranian attacks on Arab and Gulf countries.
The Baghdad OIC session
The 52nd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers brought Muslim-majority states together in Baghdad at a moment of overlapping crises: the Gaza war, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and the US-Iran confrontation now in its seventh month. Pakistan is a founding member of the OIC.
Iran has this week offered to help mediate talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, a proposal that puts Tehran’s diplomacy directly in play at the Baghdad table.
Pakistan’s balancing act
The call underlines Pakistan’s careful position between rival camps. Islamabad has condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed full solidarity with the Kingdom, as it did alongside Egypt — while also condemning the US and Israeli strikes on Iran and keeping its diplomatic channels with Tehran open, as reported in its coverage of the Hormuz dispute.
The balancing act carries real weight because of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed on August 7 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all. Pakistan must stand with Riyadh if the Houthi campaign escalates, without closing the door on Tehran — a neighbour with which it shares a long border and vital trade links.
That is why Sunday’s call matters beyond protocol. With Trump endorsing Netanyahu’s re-election and pressing Saudi Arabia to accept Israeli help against the Houthis, and two Saudi pilots killed in a helicopter crash near the Yemen border this month, Pakistan’s diplomacy is working to keep every option short of war alive.
The Egypt call and the R-4
Earlier on Sunday, Dar also spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The two condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and discussed the next meeting of the R-4 grouping (Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia), which coordinates on regional crises.
The R-4 framework, launched earlier this year, has held several meetings since March, with its fourth ministerial session in Cairo in June. The foreign ministers of the four countries last met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22.
FAQ
What is the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers?
It is the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s main decision-making gathering of foreign ministers, held regularly to coordinate policy among Muslim-majority states. The 52nd session took place in Baghdad on October 17 and 18, 2026.
What is the R-4 framework?
The R-4 brings together Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia for consultations on regional crises, particularly the US-Iran conflict and efforts to promote regional stability.
Why is Pakistan talking to both Iran and Saudi Arabia’s partners?
Pakistan shares a long border and trade ties with Iran, and a defence pact with Saudi Arabia. Islamabad’s stated policy is dialogue and diplomacy to prevent the regional conflict from spreading.
