Do not expect military confrontation at this time: Oman's foreign minister

Muscat: His Excellency Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, was invited on Saturday to a dialogue session related to reducing tension in the Gulf region, on the sidelines of his participation in the Munich Security Conference.

Speaking at the dialogue, the minister discussed the tense relations between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran: “We communicate with the United States of America and Iran within the framework of our relations with the two countries, and we have a feeling that there is a possibility for dialogue between them and we are working to reduce tension in the region.”

On talk of a military confrontation between the two countries, he said: “And we do not expect a military confrontation to take place at the present time in the region. Some have the right to feel anxious about the escalation of tension, and we know that Iran is a big country. But it is a neighbor in the region,” a statement issued online by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted the minister as saying.

“If we work to organise our interests, it may give us a sense of peace, but if we challenge Iran, it will not benefit us. We coexisted with Iran during the Shah’s era..”
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As for the military presence in the Strait of Hormuz, Alawi said: "There is a heavy presence of military ships in the Strait of Hormuz, this may cause errors and increase tension. Our message is that our friends consider the level of navigation security currently in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Also during the conference the minister met His Excellency Dr. Muhammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, and during the meeting they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries.

He also met the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union Josep Borel and they discussed areas of cooperation and coordination between the Sultanate and the European Union in regional issues of common concern. Other meetings included a meet with His Excellency Muhammad Ali Al Hakim, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq.