Skip to main content

Iranian foreign minister visits Oman

Oman's top diplomat voiced support for the Iran nuclear deal during the meeting.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) meets with Oman's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (R) in Tehran on Dec. 2, 2019.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) meets with Oman's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (R) in Tehran on Dec. 2, 2019. — STR/afp/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s top diplomat visited Oman today. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, in Muscat. Amir-Abdollahian said the visit sought to upgrade Iran-Oman relations, particularly regarding economic cooperation, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. 

The foreign minister added that Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement to revive the transit line between their countries, according to the agency. This may be a reference to the Ashgabat Agreement, which seeks to facilitate transport between the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. The agreement was signed in 2011 by Iran, Oman, Afghanistan, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with Kazakhstan, Pakistan and India later joining. Qatar withdrew in 2013. 

Relatedly, Oman has recently invested in its ports with the goal of increasing trade in the Gulf. 

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish