The 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was recently held in Baghdad, bringing together representatives from 55 member and observer states. The meeting took place amid escalating regional conflicts and instability. This year’s agenda reflected a growing recognition of the need for diplomatic coordination and economic cooperation. The meeting also highlighted differences between Iran and other member states over regional security, particularly concerning the situation in Yemen.
Regional security was a key aspect of the meeting’s agenda, especially the attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia. Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, energy installations and civilian infrastructure intensified in recent months, raising concerns about national security and the wider consequences for regional stability. OIC Secretary-General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed condemned the attacks because of their violation of Saudi sovereignty and the killing of civilians. The OIC expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and supported its right to protect its territorial sovereignty and integrity.
For Iraq, hosting the meeting for the first time since 1981 carried considerable political significance, offering Baghdad an opportunity to strengthen its diplomatic standing and assert its will to mediate regional tensions. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi proposed greater OIC economic integration through interconnected electricity grids, transport networks, digital communications and industrial zones, linking regional stability with economic interdependence. The Iraqi government has been actively seeking to strengthen ties with Gulf partners and other neighboring countries while attempting to curb the influence of militia groups. However, Iraq confronts challenges due to domestic political factors and continued Iranian influence, highlighting the difficulties Baghdad faces in translating its diplomatic ambitions into tangible outcomes. The meeting therefore provided Iraq with an opportunity to reaffirm its regional role and reassure its neighbors of Baghdad’s commitment to regional stability. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced plans to facilitate a meeting between Iran and the Gulf states in Baghdad. The proposal was consistent with Iraq’s broader interest in preventing regional rivalries from escalating into conflicts that could threaten its own security. Also, a telephone conversation between Hussein and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan after the summit indicates continued diplomatic engagement and attempts to address shared concerns. Despite Iraq’s continuing efforts to de-escalate tensions between Gulf partners and Iran, Iraq’s capacity to act as a mediator will remain dependent on the confidence of regional partners and its tangible efforts to manage external influences by taming militia groups.
The Palestinian issue remained a key focus of the discussions, reflecting its longstanding importance within the OIC’s political agenda. The final declaration reaffirmed support for Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Delegates emphasized the importance of consolidating the Gaza ceasefire, facilitating humanitarian assistance and supporting reconstruction efforts. The Palestinian issue is central to the OIC’s institutional identity and political legitimacy. It provides a common diplomatic agenda despite divergent strategic interests among member states. The continued convergence of positions on Palestine reinforces the organization’s role in sustaining international diplomatic attention on this issue, and mobilizing collective support for humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and a negotiated political settlement.
The developments in Yemen were also discussed during the meeting. Yemen’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr. Afrah Abdulaziz al-Zouba accused Tehran of arming, training and supporting the Houthi militia while simultaneously presenting itself as a potential mediator. She rejected the characterization of the Yemeni conflict as a bilateral dispute, describing it instead as “an armed coup against a member state” of the OIC. Explaining the situation in Yemen, she said, “The Yemeni people have paid a heavy price in lives, security, resources, and the future of their children. In areas under militia control, our people are oppressed by force of arms, their livelihoods looted, their children forcibly recruited, subjected to ideological indoctrination, and their national identity undermined in educational institutions. Our cause is the liberation of our country and our people, and the restoration of a state that guarantees security, the rule of law, and human dignity for all Yemenis.” Her remarks highlight the divergence between Iran’s stated commitment to regional dialogue and the concerns expressed by the Yemeni government regarding Tehran’s support for the Houthis.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also attended the session and, in his statements, highlighted Iran’s position on Yemen. Iran’s stance remains consequential given its relationship with the Houthis and its regional behavior. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei claimed that Tehran had prevented the inclusion of two paragraphs on Yemen in the OIC’s final communiqué in Baghdad, arguing that they could undermine Islamic unity. Despite the justification made by Iranian officials, Iran’s intervention can actually be interpreted as an attempt to prevent collective criticism of the Houthis and limit the OIC’s ability to articulate a unified position on regional security concerns. This shows how Iran’s regional rivalries can constrain the OIC’s capacity to address threats to the security and sovereignty of member states, including Saudi Arabia. The OIC had previously condemned Iranian attacks against the Gulf states, and Tehran has recently threatened to launch attacks on the Gulf states again if the United States attacks Iran.
The implications of the Houthi attacks extend beyond Saudi Arabia and the immediate region, as they threaten global supply chains. The Suez Canal handles approximately 12%-15% of global trade, and rerouting ships around the Cape of Good Hope adds about 12 days to Asia-Europe journeys, highlighting the need for coordinated international action. As per reports, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian and energy infrastructure pushed Brent crude to nearly $115 per barrel. The security challenges confronting Saudi Arabia cannot be understood exclusively as a bilateral or regional dispute, as they also concern the protection of infrastructure and commercial networks upon which the wider international economy depends. Moreover, Houthi attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and causing civilian casualties undermine international law and established norms governing the protection of civilians, while setting a dangerous precedent for the normalization of attacks on civilian targets in regional conflicts.
The Baghdad meeting highlights the OIC’s role as a forum for diplomatic consultation, particularly during periods of regional instability. However, there are certain limitations that constrain the organization’s ability to translate decisions into strict enforcement, especially as they are not generally legally binding in nature. The institutional and structural challenges of the OIC cannot be underestimated while assessing the scope of any outcome, especially amid difficulties in reaching timely consensus on sensitive and contentious issues, including regional conflicts.
The absence of a more substantive collective response also raises questions about the precedents established when attacks by violent non-state actors are addressed without corresponding mechanisms for deterrence, accountability or conflict resolution. Repeated attacks against sovereign states and critical civilian infrastructure, without preventing their recurrence, risk reinforcing perceptions that such actions can continue without a sufficiently coordinated international response. This also undermines international law and the credibility of collective commitments to sovereignty and non-interference. In the current context, Iran’s opposition to provisions concerning Yemen reveals how regional rivalries challenge majority consensus. Although the OIC faces structural constraints, it retains an important role in shaping regional norms and facilitating diplomatic engagement. Despite widespread condemnation of Houthi attacks among OIC member states, Iran’s intervention to prevent explicit criticism of the group underscores how competing geopolitical interests can undermine collective efforts to uphold international law, safeguard civilian lives and address threats to regional security within multilateral forums like the OIC.
