What role does Oman play in the Iranian-American crisis?

Mazen Al-Mahfouzi-Muscat

As tensions between the US and Iranian sides escalate, accusations and threats are exchanged, on the other hand, Omani movements have been said to be related to recent developments in the region.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Sultan Qaboos and discussed with him the situation in the region, according to a statement issued by the US State Department. He was followed by a visit by Omani Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi to Iran, where he met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif.

The Omani Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the talks focused on bilateral relations, developments in the region and latest developments in the international arena. Iranian news websites also reported that bin Alawi carried a letter from US President Donald Trump on his surprise visit to Tehran.

No one has disclosed the details of the latest Omani moves, but political analysts and those interested in the situation in the region have speculated that there is Omani mediation between the Iranian and US sides in order to reduce escalation and avoid an imminent war.

Vent congestion
The academic and specialist in the affairs of the Gulf and the Middle East, Dr. Abdullah Baaboud of the island Net, Oman through its recent moves to vent the intensity of the tension between the parties to the crisis being a confidence of the parties, it acts as a reliable channel in the delivery of mutual messages to avoid being dragged or sliding into the war Lu The battlefield will be the Gulf region, Iran and the Arab and the damage will affect the entire region and may exceed it if other countries intervened in this global conflict.

Baaboud points out that Pompeo's connection with Sultan Qaboos a few days ago is a sign of the United States' reliance on Oman to help resolve this crisis.

"Amman is always inclined to resolve differences with a calm mentality through diplomacy and dialogue, and trying to avoid the region in everything that could harm it or undermine its security and stability," Baabood said.

Tension situation
For his part, the Omani academic and researcher Dr. Zakaria al-Mahrami told Al-Jazeera Net that the Gulf States are living in a state of tension, fueling and preparing for the war that the region has not witnessed since 1990 during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

He pointed out that the actors in the region and beyond are pushing everyone towards the option of war, thinking that the war will be quick and easy and that the objectives can be achieved easily because of the superiority of the weapon of aviation and the development of their air defenses.

Al-Mahrami pointed out that Oman and Qatar have started secret and public efforts to defuse the crisis and try to open channels of communication between the US administration and Tehran.

Trump sees these efforts as a lifeline for his reputation among voters who promised to pull US troops out of conflict and not fight new foreign wars. Trump knows that any war in the region will be costly, both human and financial, and will inevitably last, perhaps in his election defeat. Coming.

Trust relationship
According to Mahrami, Trump instructed Foreign Minister Pompeo to contact Sultan Amman, who was able to build strong relations of trust between him and the Iranian leadership. This contact was followed by a brief visit to the Omani minister in charge of foreign affairs in Tehran.

Meanwhile, US intelligence agencies leaked news of Iran's withdrawal of its high-speed missile boats, which posed a threat to the US warships in the Gulf, which Washington considered a cause for tension.

Zakaria told Al Jazeera.net that these leaks confirm President Trump's unwillingness to go to war, not with Iran or others, and that his administration has fallen victim to the whims of his national security adviser John Bolton and the wishes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and their allies in the region who are wary of the growing influence of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Some of his spokesmen claim that they are governed by four Arab capitals.

And the possibility of war in the region, says that there are forces thirsty for the clash on the banks of the Gulf, but most likely the wise leaders in the US and Iran will have the final say, especially as the wise in the Gulf to strengthen their hands to spare the region the scourge of wars and evil.