Oman foreign minister makes third Iran visit in year

Oman Foreign Minster Yusuf bin Alawi arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iran's leadership, following his visit to the US last week.

Bin Alawi met with his Iranian counterpart Mohammed Javad Zarif in Tehran, according to local media, and is believed to be related to the Omani foreign minister's meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week.

"The visit is regarded as another attempt to ease US-Iran tension, as Oman - having friendly ties with both Tehran and Washington - is one of the mediator countries," Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.

The Iranian foreign ministry said that Zarif had "emphasised the necessity of reducing tensions in the region".

Zarif also highlighted Tehran's Hormuz Peace Endeavour initiative, a regional dialogue forum to help ease tensions in the region.

It was Bin Alawi's third visit to Iran this year, and follows US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw Washington from a nuclear deal with Tehran.

Tough sanctions has led to heightened tensions in the region, with shipping seized or attacked, Saudi oil facilities targeted, and Tehran resuming its nuclear activities.

Oman helped strike the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in 2017, and keeps strong relations between Iran and the US.

Since the US withdrew from the nuclear deal, Oman is thought to be making efforts to resolve the tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The US State Department said last week that Pompeo thanked bin Alawi for "Oman's cooperation on security and counterterrorism issues".

Bin Alawi also met with Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), according to Tasnim news agency.

"The countries that have had the biggest share in creating tensions and insecurity in the region and plunged the region into chaos and destruction by waging multiple wars and spreading terrorism have never been after the Persian Gulf's stability and security, and only seek to fulfill their own interests and plunder the region," Shamkhani said.