Iran, Oman set stage for stronger ties
By Emad Abshenas
Middle East affairs expert
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian’s trip to Oman, which begins today, is an official visit directly tied to bilateral relations between the two nations; a visit, which according to Oman’s Foreign Ministry, reflects the longstanding friendly relations between the two countries. It comes as a follow-up to an earlier trip made by the Sultan of Oman to Iran.
Given current regional and global developments, bolstering ties between Iran and Oman has been pushed to the top of the agenda. Pezeshkian’s visit includes in-depth discussions aimed at fleshing out opportunities for strengthening relations, with a series of agreements and memoranda of understanding expected to be signed.
Oman has long maintained an amicable relationship with Iran. The people of Oman share deep cultural and historical connections with the Iranian people, and a portion of Omani citizens are of Iranian descent. Historically, in times when no formal borders existed between the two nations, Omanis and Iranians moved back and forth freely. This longstanding bond could arguably be described as Iran’s oldest historical relationship with any regional country.
Over the past years, Iran and Oman have elevated their political relations to a high level. However, as officials from both countries have previously stated, there is a pressing need for economic and tourism ties to catch up with the depth of their political relationship as well. Iran currently maintains strong economic and tourism relations with countries like the UAE, and there is considerable potential for Iran and Oman to step up their cooperation in these areas as well.
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