TEHRAN – Iran and Oman will soon sign a security agreement, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Saturday.

“This agreement will be a symbol of our strategic cooperation in preserving stability and security in the region,” he told reporters at a joint press conference with his Omani counterpart Yusuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah in Tehran.
Such a deal between Tehran and Muscat is of great importance because at least 20% of the world's oil supply passes through the narrow Strait of Hormuz that runs between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
The strait’s narrowest point is just 29 nautical miles wide.
Mottaki stated that the two countries see eye to eye on many regional and international issues and will continue their negotiations on a variety of spheres, a view shared by his Omani counterpart.
Omani companies have started investing in projects in Iran and Iranian contractors are also involved in various Omani projects, he added.
Mottaki said during the talks the two sides discussed possible options to facilitate trade between the two countries and reached certain agreements.
The Omani minister said after the Islamic Revolution in Iran the two countries have rapidly expanded their relations.
He also dismissed reports that Sultan Qaboos of Oman had canceled his trip to Iran, saying he will soon visit the Islamic Republic.
Photo:
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (R) and his Omani counterpart Yusuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah shake hands in Tehran on July 11, 2009