Oman: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to Visit Iran Next Week

Oman's state television announced that the Sultan of the country will arrive in Iran on Sunday, June 7, following an official invitation from Ibrahim Raisi for a two-day official visit. The official Omani news agency reported on Wednesday that one of the objectives of this visit is to 'promote cooperation between Oman and Iran in various fields.' Ibrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, met with Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the Sultan of Oman, during his visit to Muscat, the capital of Oman, last June. During that visit, 12 cooperation documents were signed between Iran and Oman in the fields of energy, politics, transportation, diplomatic cooperation, trade and economic relations, science, environment, and sports. The Sultan's visit to Iran comes after he traveled to Egypt last Sunday to meet with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the President of Egypt, where they discussed 'overall regional and international developments.' Diplomatic relations between Iran and Egypt, which have cooled in recent decades, remain in place. The Sultan's visit to Iran occurs a few months after the resumption of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh. Iran and Saudi Arabia have expressed gratitude to Oman for hosting their previous negotiations. Oman has also acted as a mediator in negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi militants. Saudi and Omani envoys visited Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in April this year to meet with Houthi officials to end the Yemen war. The Sultanate of Oman shares a long border with Yemen and has been working for years to bring together the parties involved in the Yemen war and, more broadly, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The reopening of embassies of the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia is expected in the coming days. An American official stated that the smuggling of weapons and drugs from Iran to Yemen continues. Amir-Abdollahian, in a meeting with his Omani counterpart, said that the negotiations regarding the nuclear deal have reached 'sensitive and important' stages.