Iran's President Hassan Rouhani meets with Oman's FM Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah in Tehran. (photo credit: HANDOUT/REUTERS)
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Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani condemned the UK while meeting with Oman’s Foreign Minister in Tehran. He said that the seizure of an Iranian tanker by UK Royal Marines earlier this month was to the “detriment” of the UK and that Iran will “stand against any kind of violation of regulations that endangers the security of navigation in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman.”
Clearly these comments are intended as a message an veiled threat to the UK. Iran has already seized a UK tanker in response and London has said it will attempt to protect its ships from more Iranian harassment. But Iran’s message to Oman, which is a strategic state sitting at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, is that Tehran wants closer ties with Oman and that the two countries have common interests. This is important because the recent tensions between Iran and the US as well as Iran and other countries in the region, has spilled over into the Gulf of Oman. This includes the sabotage of four tankers on May 12, the attack on two more on June 13, the downing of a US drone in June and other incidents. The US has blamed Iran for the sabotage and attacks on tankers in May and June,but the US has not put forward a real plan to stop Iran’s harassment of shipping.
Rouhani’s statements about the UK in the presence of the Omanis is meant to send a signal about Iran’s overall desire to control the Straits of Hormuz and claim that the entire area is a key to Iran’s “security.” Iran has threatened in the past to do as it pleases in the straits and, angered by US sanctions, has shown that it can threaten ships using a variety of means, including missiles, drones and fast boats. “The presence of foreign forces does not only contribute to the security of the region, it is also the main cause of tensions,” Rouhani said, according to Mehr News.
Oman and Iran are discussing bilateral relations, according to both Iranian media and Omani media. The Sultan of Oman conveyed his greetings to the Iranian leader via the foreign minister. Both countries want to ensure security of the region. They have different approaches. Oman hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year for a visit and has generally appeared open to regional discussions with Israel, even as it also wants closer bilateral relations with Iran. Oman is thus a kind of bridge between tensions in the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign policy in this regard is to strengthen its alliance with Syria as well as its work with groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and various parties in Iraq, as well as the Houthis in Yemen. Oman is a key now because it is a state near Yemen and Saudi Arabia at the opening of the Persian Gulf. It can play a positive role in mediation and also serves as a way for Iran to send messages to other countries. Iran does not want conflict, but it has sought to humilitate the UK by seizing the UK-flagged tanker and showing off its military strength. The same is true for its approach to the US, downing an unmanned drone but not harming individual Americans.
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https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Iran-condemns-UK-during-Oman-FM-meeting-597002
2019-07-28 15:00:00Z
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