Tehran- Muscat Ties Unaffected by Riyadh Policy

Oman’s top diplomat said his country’s relations with Iran are not influenced by the policy of Saudi Arabia, a fellow member of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council, toward the Islamic Republic. “Our relations with Tehran are not affected by differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” ISNA quoted Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah as saying in a Monday talk with BBC Arabic. He pointed to the high frequency and short-lived nature of ups and downs in the history of relations between the two powerful regional rivals and expressed confidence that existing tensions would soon disappear. “Differences of opinion have frequently emerged between the two countries and have been resolved after a while.” Oman helped mediate secret US-Iran talks in 2013 that led to the historic nuclear deal signed in Geneva two years later. It has traditionally resisted efforts by some fellow Persian Gulf Arab states to close ranks against Iran.