Iran says OIC Baghdad resolution is not binding

BAGHDAD — Iran says a resolution adopted at the end of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers' meeting in Baghdad is not an official decision of the body, according to BBC Persian. The report was published on 20 October 2026.

BBC Persian said Iran's position is that the resolution does not count because "the OIC's rules of procedure were not followed." The meeting ended on Sunday in Baghdad and ran for two days. Its final resolution was adopted despite the objection.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, told BBC Persian that the most important decision of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad is the final declaration, which is normally adopted by consensus. He said that about one or two hours before the declaration was adopted, a point was raised that the text should not include items that could divide Islamic countries. He said the item in question was Yemen.

According to BBC Persian, one of the resolutions asks Iran to respect international law, the United Nations Charter and the Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular relations. It also asks Iran not to engage with the Houthi representative in Tehran. Another clause asks all countries not to engage with him or accept any correspondence or deals from him, which the resolution describes as void and without legal effect.

The resolution also asks OIC member states not to facilitate the Houthi representative's travel. It says that, if he is present on their territory, they should hand him over to the government of the Republic of Yemen. BBC Persian reported that Iran supports the Houthis, who are fighting a coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attended the meeting. Before the meeting, he said that Iran might not accept the final declaration if "fairness and balance" were not respected. He said most resolutions were expected to repeat those of last year, but that Yemen had been the subject of "serious discussions." According to BBC Persian, Araghchi said Saudi Arabia held its own views, Iran had stated its views, and other countries had done the same.

Araghchi also said that the bloc of countries close to Saudi positions within the OIC was "considerable." BBC Persian quoted him as saying Iran had carried out "extensive lobbying." He said that if fairness and balance were not reflected, the Islamic Republic of Iran could not join the outcome and would dissociate itself from the resolutions or from that specific resolution, and could make a reservation or state explicitly that it does not accept them.

BBC Persian did not report any response to these remarks from Saudi Arabia, the Houthis or other OIC members. The report does not say how many countries voted for or against the resolution, or whether Iran formally recorded a reservation.

Background

The meeting was the 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. According to BBC Persian, it was held against a backdrop of war and tension in the region. The Houthi movement has been fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and Iran has backed the group.

The OIC is a grouping of Muslim-majority states. Its Council of Foreign Ministers meets periodically, and its resolutions are normally adopted by consensus, according to the Iranian spokesman's remarks reported by BBC Persian.