In the latest sign of Iran’s pursuit of “engagement” with Gulf States, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is on a trip to Kuwait and Oman to discuss regional and international issue, including the Syrian conflict and last month’s interim deal over Tehran’s nuclear program.
On Sunday, Zarif met Oman’s ruler Sultan Qaboos, saying that the Islamic Republic “accords special respect to Oman as a good neighbor.” State media say Zarif and Omani counterpart Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah “pledged to tackle extremism through closer cooperation”.

The two sides also discuss a pipeline project to carry Iran’s natural gas to Oman, following an agreement signed in Tehran on August 26.

US media have declared Saudi hostility to Iran’s engagement of the West, including the interim nuclear deal in Geneva on November 24, but Tehran’s officials have emphasized the possibilities of rapprochement on political and economic fronts.

The “Gulf diplomacy” was foreshadowed this autumn by former President Hashemi Rafsanajni, who sought closer ties with Saudi Arabia in the 1990s, and set up by welcoming statements from President Rouhani and Zarif.

Last week, the UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Tehran, a mission hailed as a success by Iranian media.

Speaking after his meetings with Kuwaiti officials, Zarif pointed to engagement with the Gulf’s largest state, “We look at Saudi Arabia as a very important and influential country in the region.”

The Foreign Minister offered reassurance over the nuclear developments, “The solution to this issue serves the interests of all countries in the region. It is not at the expense of any state in the region.”

By EA WorldView

 

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