Iran’s Khamenei welcomes Omani mediation for rapprochement with Egypt

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has welcomed Omani efforts aimed at rapprochement with Egypt.

Speaking during a meeting with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who arrived in Tehran on Sunday, Khamenei said the expansion of relations between Iran and Oman in different fields "is beneficial to both sides."

Commenting on Oman's mediation between Iran and Egypt, Khamenei said Iran “has no problem" in full rapprochement with Cairo, according to Iran's state media.

Sunday’s visit by Sultan Haitham to Iran came a week after his trip to Cairo, where he held talks with Egyptian President Abdel- Fattah El-Sisi with a focus on restoration of full diplomatic ties between Iran and Egypt.

Speculation is already rife that Iran and Egypt are mulling exchange of ambassadors in the near future.

Khamenei also appreciated Oman's role in facilitating talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia that resulted in the two countries restoring their ties in March after seven years of friction of hostilities.

Oman played a key role in Tehran-Riyadh rapprochement talks that spanned two years and resulted in the breakthrough in Beijing.

During the meeting, Khamenei referred to the "danger" posed by Israel in the region, saying the Israeli policy is to "foment discord" between the regional countries. He urged closer cooperation between regional and Islamic governments, including Iran and Oman.

On Monday, Oman’s sultan held delegation-level talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that was followed by a joint press conference, in which Raisi said relations between the two countries have been "upgraded from the commercial to investment stage."

Raisi cited industry, trade, communications, defense and security, roads and railways, maritime transport and transit as well as energy as areas of cooperation between the two sides.

Sultan Haitham, for his part, said although the volume of trade has doubled, the two countries are still far from the desired level of economic cooperation.

The two countries signed four cooperation agreements in the fields of economic cooperation and investments, free trade zones and energy.