TEHRAN – Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, received on Monday morning Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman. The meeting indicated a new trend in Iran-Oman relations.

Sultan Haitham concluded his two-day visit to Iran and left Tehran for Muscat on Monday morning after meeting Ayatollah Khamenei. In Tehran, he met with Iranian President Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi and First-Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who saw off the Sultan at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport. 

Heading a large politico-economic delegation, Sultan Haitham arrived in Tehran on Sunday. His visit gave new momentum to Iran-Oman relations, which have already been strong and historical. 

In his meeting with Sultan Haitham, Ayatollah Khamenei described the relations between Iran and Oman, long-standing, deep-rooted, and good. “We believe that the expansion of bilateral relations in all fields is beneficial for both countries,” he added, according to khamenei.ir. 

The Leader also referred to the negotiations that have taken place between the Iranian and Omani sides. “The important thing is that these negotiations should be followed up seriously until tangible results are achieved, and eventually relations should be expanded,” he said. 

He further stressed the importance of the increasing cooperation between Oman and Iran, due to the fact that both countries share the very important Strait of Hormuz waterway.

Relations between Tehran and Oman have already been good as manifested by the historic role Oman played in mediating between Iran and the U.S. in the run-up to the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Oman also played a mediatory role in many other Iran-related issues. But the bilateral relations have not been at the same level as the diplomatic interactions. And Sultan Haitham’s visit seems to have also addressed this lacuna. 

Of course, Oman still plays its traditional mediatory role. During the meeting with the Leader, the Sultan of Oman pointed to Egypt’s willingness to resume relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In response to this, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that Iran welcomes this position and has no problems in this regard.

With regard to the Sultan of Oman’s satisfaction with the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, “These matters are the result of the good policy of Mr. Raeisi’s administration to expand and strengthen relations with Iran’s neighbors and other countries in the region.”

Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed hope that with the expansion of relations between the Islamic governments, the Islamic nation will regain its glory and greatness. He added that bringing the potentials and capacities of the Islamic countries together will benefit all Islamic nations, countries and states.

During this meeting, which was also attended by the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, expressed great satisfaction at meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. He underlined that Oman’s policy is to expand ties with its neighbors, in particular with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“During the negotiations in Tehran, opinions were exchanged and various fields of cooperation were discussed. We hope that with the continuation of these talks, the relations between the two countries will expand even further than before and that its practical results will become evident for both sides,” he added.