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.
Anadolu Agency reports Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's meetings with Iraq's president and Pakistan's prime minister at COP31, and names the US-Israeli strikes of 28 February as the start of the war. It names the wrong man as Iraq's president: Tehran Times and Al-Monitor both identify him as Nizar Amedi, and Al-Monitor reproduces the Iraqi presidency's own post naming Amedi as the president who received Pezeshkian. The article calls him Abdul Latif Rashid.
Makes a false claim
Serious
“Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid”
Why this matters
The words "Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid" name the man Pezeshkian met as Abdul Latif Rashid.
The impression it gives
A reader believes Abdul Latif Rashid is Iraq's president and was the leader in the room with Pezeshkian in Antalya.
The context
Both other reports of the same meeting name Iraq's president as Nizar Amedi. Al-Monitor also reproduces the Iraqi presidency's own post, which tags @nizarAmede as the president who received Pezeshkian.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held separate meetings on Wednesday with Iraqi President Nizar Amedi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of COP31 in Antalya, according to the Iranian presidency.