Iran's Pezeshkian meets Iraqi president, Pakistani premier at COP31 in Antalya

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held separate meetings Wednesday with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the COP31 UN climate summit in Türkiye's southern province of Antalya, according to the Iranian presidency.

During his meeting with Rashid, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and underscored the need to strengthen constructive engagement and expand cooperation across various sectors, the presidency said in a statement.

In separate talks with Sharif, Pezeshkian discussed political and economic ties, with both sides emphasizing the importance of boosting trade, deepening regional cooperation and strengthening coordination to promote security and stability.

The meetings come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between Iran and the US, which began with US-Israeli military strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Pakistan has played a key mediating role between Tehran and Washington, hosting talks in Islamabad in April that paved the way for subsequent diplomatic negotiations.

Iraq has also intensified its mediation efforts, proposing earlier this month a regional diplomatic mission to Tehran and Washington aimed at resolving the conflict.

COP31, hosted by Türkiye in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya from Nov. 9 to 20, brings together world leaders, government officials and climate negotiators to address climate change, with discussions focusing on emissions reductions, adaptation and climate finance.