Tehran Papers:

The return of the West to the Sultan of Oman 

May 27, 2023 - 21:21

The Farhikhtegan newspaper commented on the West's policy towards Iran through Oman's mediation. Referring to the West's failure in overthrowing the Islamic Republic of Iran, the newspaper reported that the West has returned to Oman for mediation.

The unexpected release of an Iranian citizen and his exchange with a Belgian prisoner in Iran had many similarities to exchanges during the signing of the JCPOA. The fact that this happened through Oman's mediation, which has a long history of mediating between Iran and Western countries, is another reason for the high similarity of this exchange with other cases. Considering that the Sultan of Oman is also visiting Iran, it is not unlikely that the reason for all these events is a possible and hidden progress in Iran's negotiations with the West. If this hypothesis is true, there is no reason for the Western party to retreat from its hostile policy towards Iran. Although Western countries have repeatedly announced that the JCPOA became irrelevant after the U.S. quit it, all evidence suggests that different events will happen compared to what the Western countries were seeking.

Etamad: We ourselves gave cement!

Etamad pointed to the issue of Iran's water rights from the Helmand River and stated: "The Taliban, who have their own place even in the government of Ashraf Ghani, had a full understanding of international law, foreign relations, and diplomatic language, and emphasized adherence and good relations between the two countries. Unfortunately, our seemingly soft policies have led us astray and we have become trapped in the throat of Helmand. Because of Iran's negligence towards the construction process of the Kamal Khan dam, to the extent that even the overflow of the dam was diverted through canals to arid lands in Afghanistan. We must admit that we are currently facing a severe water shortage and thirst in Sistan-Baluchestan these days, as during the construction of the Kamal Khan and Kajaki dams during Ashraf Ghani's government, all the materials, including cement, were provided from Sistan-Baluchestan. Therefore, at that time, instead of easily providing the materials, we should have prevented any deviation in dam construction and make the country to comply with international environmental laws and conventions."

Javan: Temptations of the last year of parliament

Javan addressed the issue of the last year of the parliament and stated: "Despite the fact that significant actions have been taken in the eleventh parliament, there are still major tasks that need to be completed before the end of its term. It is natural that some of these actions, if completed, will endanger the interests of a spectrum of power and wealth owners, and we should not expect these powerful individuals to easily give up. They may even try to influence public opinion through media and advertising tools regarding these decisions, and this is where the greatest struggle of parliamentarians begins. Perhaps they should resist the temptations of the "last year" and make the right decisions. In this case, whether they will remain in Baharestan or serve in another position, they have succeeded in this great struggle."

Sobh-e No: Asadollahi freedom may herald Europe’s return to realism

Sobh-e No analyzed Asadollahi's freedom and wrote: Oman has always played an intermediary role in Iran's relations with some countries in recent years. Mediation on issues between Iran and the United States, including the exchange of prisoners to hosting three rounds of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia last year, which ultimately led to an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations, has been an example of these efforts. After the Tehran-Riyadh agreement, now the media report on Muscat's efforts to increase Iran-Egypt relations. In this regard, diplomatic sources on June 2, told that Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed newspaper that Haitham bin Tariq, the Sultan of Oman, had discussed with the President of Egypt about Tehran-Cairo relations in his recent visit to Cairo. The published news also suggests that the Sultan of Oman is scheduled to travel to Iran on Sunday. We have to wait for the political and diplomatic results of the Sultan of Oman’s official's trip to Iran.

The behavior of Europeans in releasing Iranian diplomats was exactly opposite to their positions in the second half of last year, which was unrealistic and emotional. Some signs, such as Asadollahi's release, should be seen within the framework of the failure of the European “overthrow project” and their realism.