Iran's Foreign Minister Visits Oman, Traditional Mediator With US

Iran’s foreign minister has traveled to Oman to discuss issues of mutual interest while Muscat has traditionally played a mediating role between Tehran and Washington.

According to Iran’s foreign ministry, the visit by Tehran’s high-ranking delegation may have another stop in one of the Persian Gulf countries, and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is also set to go to China in the coming days.

Amir-Abdollahian met with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said on Monday and is also held a meeting with his counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi.

Upon arrival in Muscat, Amir-Abdollahian mentioned following up on the quadripartite transit agreement with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as one of the topics on agenda, probably implying that increasing economic and trade cooperation with Oman is the focus of the visit.

However, IRNA says he is accompanied by “a political delegation” from the ministry.

Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that the other possible destination would be announced if the visit takes place.

The second possible destination could be Qatar, as there has been speculation that Doha is liaising between the US and the Islamic Republic.

Amir-Abdollahian is also set to travel to China in a few days to discuss the surreptitious 25-year strategic cooperation agreement between Tehran and Beijing.