Commanders of Iran, Oman navies meet
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, Feb 9, IRNA – Commanders of Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and Omani Royal Navy met and conferred in Tehran Wednesday night.
1390/11/20 - 06:35
According to IRNA Defense Field reporter, Rear Admiral Emir Habibollah Sayyari and Rear Admiral Abdullah bin-Khamis bin-Abdullah al-Raisi met and conferred at the Islamic Republic Iranian Navy Headquarters on issues of mutual concern, particularly on the two countries’ joint defense cooperation.
More detailed report on the two countries’ navy commanders will be dispatched in a short while.
The Commander of the Oman Royal Navy and his accompanying delegation who arrived in Tehran on Monday morning during their stay in the Islamic Republic of Iran visited various units of the IRI Navy in Bandar Abbas (port) in the south and Noshahr in the north.
Commander of the Oman Royal Navy and his accompanying delegation after visiting District One of the Islamic Iranian Navy in Bandar Abbas attended a gathering IRI Navy commanders on the deck of the Iranian-made Jamaran Destroyer and visited the various parts of that destroyer, after which accompanied by their high ranking Iranian naval hosts, they also visited the Iranian Navy’s Naval Facilities Manufacturing Workshops and the IRI Floating Objects Repair Shops.
The commander of Omani navy and his accompanying delegation earlier on Wednesday visited various parts of Noshahr Imam Khomeini (P) Naval Sciences University, including the naval university’s football field, obstacles field, Navigation and Naval Commandership College, Mechanical Sciences College, and Electronics College.
Noshahr Imam Khomeini (P) Naval Sciences University is located on the outskirts of Iran’s northern Noshahr city, at the east side of Iran’s northern Mazandaran Province.
Oman and Iran share close diplomatic, economic, and military ties. According to Kenneth Katzman of the US Congressional Research Service, “Oman has a tradition of cooperation with Iran dating back to the Shah of Iran’s regime and Oman has always been less alarmed by the perceived threat from Iran than have the other Persian Gulf states.” Unlike the majority of its Persian Gulf neighbors, Oman managed to uphold diplomatic relations with both sides during the Iran-Iraq war from 1980-1988 and strongly supported the UN Security Council resolutions to end the conflict. Secret cease-fire talks between the two adversaries were held in Muscat during the war, and although an agreement was never reached during these talks, they did reduce distrust on both sides. Moreover, after the war, Oman mediated talks to restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Iran and the United Kingdom.
During the Persian Gulf War, Iran-Oman relations were damaged after Iran began running attacks on tanker movements in the Persian Gulf and placed anti-ship missile launchers along the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf neighbors have since restored their ties and have conducted joint military exercises as recently as February 2011. Oman’s leader Sultan Qaboos traveled to Iran in 2009 for the first time since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Though on two occasions the US has dispatched high-level officials to discuss Iran with Oman, the fact that Oman has avoided publicly expressing any concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program is likely a reason why the two states have managed to maintain strong ties.
In addition to strong diplomatic and political ties, Iran and Oman cooperate economically on several fronts, including energy. Most recently, the Gulf neighbors signed an initial agreement to begin supplying large quantities of natural gas from Iran to Oman, a project that was earlier reported to be worth between $7-12 billion. In addition to these major economic projects, the two countries have opened a joint bank to facilitate their mutual financial dealings, agreed to develop the Kish and Hengam gas fields in the Persian Gulf, and signed a memorandum of understanding for a potential joint petrochemical project valued at $800 million.
On March 16th, 2011, two Iranian warships docked at an Omani port on a return trip from the Mediterranean Sea. Members of the Iranian navy also met with Omani governmental and military officials and foreign diplomats.
On February 9th, 2011, Iran and Oman held joint war games in the Sea of Oman. The war game’s goal was to “increasing the level of regional cooperation between the two countries and sharing experience.”
On February 7th, 2011, the Iran-Oman joint military committee held talks. After the meeting the two countries emphasized the need to develop close military cooperation. In this meeting Iranian Brigadier General Mostafa Salami (Assistant Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Operations Affairs) stated that “Decisions were made regarding the meeting with Omani joint chiefs of staff, minister of defense, commander of the army tri service (sic) and police and customs commander.' He added, 'It is expected that the second joint exercise on naval relief and rescue is performed on February 9th in Oman territorial waters in the presence of the naval and aerial forces of two countries.”
On August 4th, 2010, Iran and Oman agreed to provide security for the Strait of Hormuz after a meeting between their respective defense ministers. The announcement came after a militant group claimed responsibility for an attack on a Japanese super tanker moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
On August 22nd, 2008, the Iranian ambassador to Oman Morteza Rahimi announced that the seventh annual Iran-Oman joint military committee was set to take place in Muscat the following week.
Courtesy: AEI Iran Tracker, for the background
2329**2329
Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30808091
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
