TEHRAN – Iran and Oman plan to hold joint search and rescue operations in the Persian Gulf in upcoming days.

The exercise will involve Iranian navies from the Army, the IRGC and Border Guard Command as well as Royal Oman Police and Royal Navy of Oman.

Iran and Oman have so far held several naval search and rescue drills aimed at enhancing readiness for providing relief services, conducting rescue operations and exchanging experience.

The announcement for join exercise was made as Ghadir Nezami, Iran’s Armed Forces deputy commander for international affairs, and Oman’s Hamad bin Rashid al Balushi, assistant SAF chief of staff for operations and planning, met in Tehran on Saturday.

The meeting was in line with strengthening defense and military cooperation and boosting security in the Gulf of Oman.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran and Oman have held 13 joint military commission meetings during the past 20 years and today Tehran is hosting 14th joint commission,” Nezami explained.

Talking to reporters prior to his meeting with the Omani commander, Nezami said, “Military and security relations between the two countries in the past year will be discussed in the meeting. Relations in the next year will also be discussed.”

General Nezami said given crises in the region the Islamic Republic attaches great importance to relations among the Islamic counties.

Pointing to the U.S. and Zionist regime’s plots to sow division in the Islamic world, he said the Iran-Oman joint military commission meeting indicates “convergence” among the Islamic countries.

Iran and Oman have been enjoying close ties over the years. During the nuclear negotiations, Oman played an intermediary role, seeking to facilitate the talks between Iran and the U.S. as the main negotiating partners.

Oman relayed the message of dialogue from the U.S. to Iran to resolve the decade-old nuclear dispute between Tehran and Washington. 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on April 2, 2015, that Oman “not only hosted a number of important meetings, but also played a critical role in getting these talks off the ground in the first place”.

Oman also helped release three U.S. hikers who had infiltrated into Iran in July 2009 while on a tour of Iraq.

NA/PA