Alwaght- Amid active diplomacy of the administration of President Sayyed Ibrahim Raeisi in recent months, Iran has been a destination of political delegations from around the world. While the Iranian officials have just wrapped up their Africa tour, they hosted a regional diplomat visiting Tehran for talks on boosting bilateral relations.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi arrived in Tehran and held talks with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian. Though no details of the goals the visit have been shared, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Naser Kanani in his weekly press briefing said that “Oman is our partner in bilateral and regional issues and has good will for playing constructive role in international issues, and this provides an opportunity for consultative talks.”
Iran's president last month visited Oman and discussed bilateral, regional, and international relations. Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said had visited Iran later in May for talks with Iranian officials.
The frequent visits of Omani officials to Iran are meant to strengthen bilateral relations and for greater synergy between Tehran and the Persian Gulf Arab countries to guide the region, which has been struggling with instability and insecurity for more than a decade, towards calm and security.
Oman, known for its policy of neutrality and pro-stability activism in the region, has reactivated diplomacy to strengthen inter-Islamic convergence amid regional political progress in recent months.
Oman's influential role in many regional developments has been remarkable and visible in Iranian-Arab diplomatic reconciliation. The Iranian-Saudi talks were initiated in Muscat and after several rounds, they were concluded in Beijing.
Oman has always taken an independent and different approach compared to other Persian Gulf monarchies, and even in the war in Yemen, instead of escalating the tension, it sought peace in this country, and conducted extensive mediation between the leaders of Ansarullah Movement and the representatives of the Saudi coalition for a basic solution to the conflict. It seems that in the FM’s Tehran visit, Yemen will be one of the discussion topics.
Security and economy top on agenda
The most important issue that has always been raised in the meetings of Iranian and Omani officials is the development of bilateral relations which have accelerated since the inauguration of President Raisi’s government. Albusaidi in his meeting with his Iranian counterpart Amir-Abdollahian stressed faster implementation of the previous agreements.
In this connection, Hassan Hanizadeh, an Iranian expert of West Asian affairs, told Alwaght that top Omani diplomat pursues a set of goals in his Tehran visit.
“Economy plays an important role in bilateral relations, and the capacity of the Omani market to accept Iranian goods is very high, and this country is trying to raise the volume of trade with Tehran to an acceptable level,” Hanizadeh held.
In the Omani sultan’s Tehran visit, the two countries inked four cooperation documents on economy, investment, free zones, and energy, and according to the agreements, next year, their trade volume will upgrade to an acceptable level. Additionally, their officials said “comprehensive strategic cooperation document” in near future will be signed in boost to bilateral relations.
According to Iranian customs statistics, Iran's exports to Oman in last year were $1.087 billion, up from $716 million the year before. On the other hand, Iran's imports from Oman last year showed a 29 percent growth compared to the year before. In 2022, they were $800 million and in 2021 were estimated at $619 million. According to reports, more than 2,000 Iranian companies operate in various economic sectors of Oman. These data show that the relations between the two countries have grown under President Raeisi's administration and the most important cooperation area has been energy, where Iran is supposed to provide part of the needs of the Omani side.
Hanizadeh noted that security cooperation is also one of the key areas of the two countries’ relationship, adding: “Forming a joint Iranian-Arab naval force to domesticate the Persian Gulf security is one of main plans Oman follows. This plan is also seriously followed by regional states to cut the intervention of the trans-regional powers.”
With the Persian Gulf monarchies distancing from security and military reliance on the US and moving closer to its rivals Russia and China and with the Iran-Saudi détente, the long-standing Iranian demand for inter-regional military and security cooperation has a bigger chance of materialization. To this end, Oman has recently opened a new door for military cooperation with the Islamic Republic that is crucial and provides a launching pad for broader relations of the two sides of the Persian Gulf.
Earlier in May, a number of senior Iranian military officials led by Chief of General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces Major General Ali Bagheri paid a visit to Muscat and held talks with Omani counterparts. In their meetings, the two sides voiced their readiness to beef up military cooperation for the good of security in the Persian Gulf, emphasizing that peace should be established by the neighbors themselves and not by foreign powers. Therefore, the military cooperation between Iran and Oman can set a prelude to cooperation with other Arab countries to bring about convergence to military area.
In recent weeks, some Arab media have announced agreements between Tehran and Riyadh to form a naval alliance, and it seems that behind-the-scenes agreements are unfolding in this regard, and if the Arab states show willingness, this is not unimaginable. All these moves are mediated by Oman.
Mediation between Tehran and Cairo
Considering Iranian-Arab world convergence a key step to regional stability, Oman is putting on its agenda making bridges for Iran's dialogue with the Arab countries. One of the most important cases Oman is handling is a push to start Iranian-Egyptian normalization talks.
Hanizadeh cited mediation between Tehran and Cairo as one of the drivers of the Omani FM’s Tehran visit.
“Though already representatives from Iran and Egypt have engaged in talks in Oman and Iraq, the Omanis are working harder to bring their views closer to prepare the ground for normalization,” he added.
Following détente agreement with Saudi Arabia in March, Egyptian officials expressed their will to resume ties with Tehran after four decades. Negotiations have already started, and the Egyptian government as a good will gesture said it removes restrictions for Iranian tourists to travel to Egypt.
In mid-June, Saudi-run Al Arabiya news network reported that Tehran and Cairo have “principally agreed” on setting up a joint committee working on détente and security coordination. With the Iranian-Arab relations having made a dramatic progress in recent months, the way looks paved for Tehran and Cairo to resume ties.
Iran nuclear deal, the fixed part of Omani officials’ visits
In addition to bilateral ties and regional issues, Iran's nuclear case has always been a fixed element of agenda of Omani officials in their Iran visits. This time's visit is no exception. Albusaidi’s visit comes a few weeks after Amir-Abdollahian’s Muscat trip. At that time, Iranian media reported that talks on lifting the US sanction were the central part of the Iranian diplomat’s talks with Omani officials. Over the past decade, Oman has played as a contact channel between the US and Iran and its role in 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was considerable. Now that there are speculations about possible Iranian-American agreement, Oman once again rises as a mediator.
In another part of his interview with Alwaght, Hanizadeh highlighted JCPOA revival and mediation between Washington and Tehran as an agenda of the Omani FM.
“Oman has stable relations with the West and is a trusted country between Iran and the United States, and the controversy that started after the dismissal of the US special envoy for Iran affairs Rob Malley in recent weeks has now brought the views of Tehran and Washington closer. Oman is trying to resume indirect talks between Iran and the US,” Hanizadeh went on.
These efforts comes as last month indirect talks were held between Iranian and American envoys, but immediately after reports of dismissal of Malley, who is also the head of Iran Desk in the Department of State, the negotiations were put on hold. Some Western media propagandistically described Malley sidelining as a factor compounding the path to a deal, but Iran's Kanani said Tehran has no positive or negative evaluation of the issue and pays attention to the behavior of the US government.
“We have no specific idea on change of individuals and will have no reaction to the issue,” he told journalists.
Malley’s replacement Abram Paley said that the office of special Iran envoy and all of members of the group at the State Department are still busy with following the country's policy towards Iran. The White House officials held that national interests are what matters for them and change of individuals does not disrupt it.
