Muscut (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said plans to visit Moscow on Monday, days after the initiation of Muscat-mediated nuclear discussions between the U.S. and Iran.
The Kremlin announced that the sultan is set to discuss matters with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. According to the Omani state news agency and the Kremlin, the sultan’s meetings during his Moscow visit will centre on regional and global cooperation, though specific details have not been provided.
Additionally, the Kremlin mentioned that trade and economic relations will also be on the agenda for discussion between the two leaders.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Iran and the U.S. initiated a fresh round of nuclear discussions in Rome, aiming to address their long-standing conflict regarding Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, amid President Donald Trump’s warning of potential military action should diplomatic efforts falter.
Before Saturday’s discussions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. After their meeting, Lavrov stated that Russia is “ready to assist, mediate and play any role that will be beneficial to Iran and the U.S.A.”
In the past, Moscow has been involved in Iran’s nuclear negotiations as a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council and as a signatory to a previous agreement that Trump left behind during his first term in 2018.
Is Muscat becoming a key diplomatic powerbroker?
A few days ago, US President Donald Trump expressed gratitude to Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for facilitating discussions with Iran regarding its nuclear program. He thanked bin Tariq “for hosting the first direct meeting between the United States and Iran ” and underscored the necessity for Iran to terminate its nuclear activities negotiations,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
“The two leaders also discussed the United States’ ongoing operations against the Houthis, and emphasised that the Houthis will pay a severe price until they end their attacks on maritime traffic in the Red Sea,”
She also said.
The call occurred three days after the US and Iran wrapped up their first negotiations in Oman, where both parties consented to reconvene on Saturday. Late Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry verified that discussions will take place once more in Muscat, the capital of Oman.
