Sultan Haitham of Oman, mediator between Iran and Western countries in key issues including the nuclear issue, arrived Sunday in Tehran for a two-day visit. The sultan was greeted mid-afternoon at Mehrabad airport by Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber.
Before his arrival, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi told the Asharq al-Awsat daily that "this historic visit will have a positive impact on the security and stability of the region." It comes a year after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Muscat, during which the two countries signed a series of trade agreements. This trip is also organized "in the midst of a new and positive phase in regional relations, which encourages" the countries of the region "to support dialogue to solve problems," Albusaidi added.
Unlike most of its neighbors, Oman has long enjoyed excellent relations with the Islamic Republic, regularly acting as a mediator between Tehran and countries in the Middle East and West.
He had facilitated negotiations between Iran and its arch-enemy Washington, as well as discussions on the nuclear issue and those initiated for the resumption of relations with Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh and Tehran, two rival powers in the Middle East, decided in March to restore diplomatic relations, broken in 2016.
More recently, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian thanked Muscat for its "positive efforts" in a prisoner exchange between Brussels and Tehran.
Belgian humanitarian Olivier Vandecasteele was released on Friday in exchange for an Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, convicted in Belgium for terrorism.
Sultan Haitham arrived in Iran after a visit to Egypt, where he met with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Tehran, which intends to resume relations with Cairo, reported talks in December between its top diplomat and the Egyptian leader, on the sidelines of a meeting in Oman.
