DUBAI, UAE - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Tuesday met with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh in Baghdad, discussing bilateral relations and regional and international developments.

The talks focused on strengthening cooperation between Baghdad and Tehran in a ways that “serve common interests,” according to a statement from the Iraqi foreign.

The statement said that Khatibzadeh presented an overview of the recent war between Israel and Iran, highlighting its political, social and security impacts inside the country, noting that the conflict has reshaped Iran’s security and military concepts as well as its political approach to international relations.

The two also discussed the outcomes of Iran’s negotiations with European countries and its ongoing dialogue with the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. They also touched on deliberations at the UN Security Council, particularly the roles of China and Russia in issues related to Iran.

“Hussein affirmed Iraq's commitment to supporting dialogue and understanding, which would contribute to enhancing security and stability at the regional and international levels,” read the statement.

Sources told The New Region that Khatibzadeh’s two-day visit to Baghdad was unannounced. He arrived Monday evening and held meetings with several Iraqi officials and politicians, as well as Iraqi universities and research centers to discuss Iran’s foreign policy and shared regional challenges.

According to the sources, Khatibzadeh warned during his talks of threats posed by Israel and its cooperation with the United States in the region, stressing the importance of supporting the “resistance” and countering plans aimed at changing the region’s identity.

In June, Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war that marked the most direct confrontation between the two in decades. The conflict began with massive Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites, followed by Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities and infrastructure.

The United States later joined the fighting with strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. By the time a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on June 24, over a thousand people had been killed in Iran, dozens others in Israel, and both countries had suffered heavy damage to civilian and military infrastructure.