The Iranian Foreign Minister’s visit to Oman reflects continued regional diplomacy over the Iranian nuclear deal, trade, Yemen, Arab and Israeli ties.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met in Muscat on Wednesday with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, calling Oman the “epicenter” of regional talks. With Yemen, Afghanistan and Ukraine all on the agenda, the minister said these issues needed to be addressed “at a faster pace”.
A December 22 phone call between Amir Abdullahian and his Omani counterpart fueled speculation that Muscat played a role in restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). . The Muscat arbitration dates back to facilitating clandestine contacts between Iran and the United States prior to the 2015 agreement. European Union spokesman Peter Stano said of the December 20 meeting in Jordan between Prime Minister Amir Abdulrahian and his head of EU foreign policy, Joseph Borrell, that the JCPOA was revived. It will advance the consultation on
Omani mediators are in Sana’a to try to bridge the divide between the government of Rashid al-Alimi and the main opposition party, Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, over the extension of a fragile eight-month ceasefire.Iran gave some support to Ansar AllahMeanwhile, Saudi Arabia launched a direct military intervention in 2015, primarily through its air force.
According to reports, Omanis Moved out December 25th without resolution Disagreement over whether the government or Ansar Allah should pay wages to combatants and state officials, including 80 percent of Yemen’s one-third population under Ansar Allah’s rule.at least 370,000 dead in eight years of civil warIt began with protests against then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh.of UN says a child dies every 10 minutes from preventable causes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian (middle) during a meeting with the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said in Muscat on December 28, 2022.
Oman is eager to restore the JCPOA and distances itself from any pressure to “normalize” with Israel through the extension of the JCPOA. 2020 US Brokered “Abraham Accords”was widely depicted in US as a move against Iran. Muscat came after the new Israeli government, which includes far-right parties, pledged to accelerate Jewish settlements in occupied territories after Arab football fans’ critical reaction to Israeli journalists at the World Cup in December. Considering laws similar to those passed in Iraq and Kuwait sanctions.Israel and trade.
“Anything related to Israeli-Saudi relations other than security issues has mostly stayed out of the Saudi media,” the Jerusalem Post noted Wednesday. “Oman had no serious intention to participate. [the Abrahamic accords]”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian during a meeting with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi in Muscat on December 28, 2022
Expansion of trade, “friends with everyone”
Iran’s regional diplomacy drives both the need for dialogue and increased trade. Both will be discussed at the December 20-21 “Baghdad 2” conference, where an Iranian delegation, led by Amir Abdullahian, will bring together the major powers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Egypt. I met with officials and politicians. , France, Iraq, Jordan, EU.
The critical reaction in Tehran was a joint statement released after the December 9 Arab-Chinese summit in which Riyadh and Beijing agreed to “joint cooperation to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.” was quite modest tobusiness insider December 20, said many people were able to see “Beijing would rather balance its ties with regional competitors,” he said, expanding $87 billion in bilateral trade with Saudi Arabia and 25 years of cooperation in 2021 despite U.S. sanctions. Pursuing an “all-friends approach” to pursue the deal, Iran envisages a potential $400 billion investment from China in exchange for steady and discounted oil supplies.
Oman faces greater difficulties with two gas projects with Iran. One is a project to supply 10 billion cubic meters of Iranian gas per year over 15 years, the other as a pipeline of his 1400 km, $7 billion pipeline from Iran to India, with 113 per year. billion cubic meters. New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Russia’s Gazprom in 2019.
but, Neither Iran nor Oman have the technology To lay a deepwater pipeline, and a long-delayed project requires Western technology, which requires the lifting of US sanctions.
