U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Tuesday, the 15th, with Oman’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, and highlighted the Sultanate’s role in reducing tensions in the Middle East at a time of new reports of attacks and disruptions to the region’s energy and maritime traffic.
According to a statement attributed to spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio condemned “recent Iranian attacks” against commercial ships and regional countries. The secretary reiterated the American commitment to ensuring that Iran “never acquire a nuclear weapon” and to preserving freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to expressing support for deepening ties between Oman and the United States.
The call comes amid the intensification of the conflict in the region involving other fronts, such as exchanges of attacks between Saudi Arabia and the Yemen-based Houthi militant group, backed by Iran. This week, Saudi Arabia closed a pipeline, halted oil shipments at a port on the Red Sea and canceled deliveries to Europe for late September, according to Reuters.
In addition to the call with Oman, another sign of the regional coordination led by the United States is the secret meeting held last week together with Israel and Arab countries in Germany, according to Axios. The gathering discussed the war against Iran and the escalation of tensions, and during the meeting, Israel reportedly signaled that it could assist Saudi Arabia in the confrontations against the Houthis.
Next week, Rubio is also expected to meet with Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on September 22, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, with mediation and regional security on the agenda, according to AsiaOne.
