Oman's top diplomat visits Tehran, talks on regional issues

The foreign minister of Oman, which in the past helped pave the way for negotiations between Iran and the United States, visited Tehran Monday as tensions rise between the Islamic Republic and the United States and its Gulf allies.

Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah discussed regional and international issues with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian state news agency IRNA said. However, IRNA gave no details and it was not known if the visit was aimed at calming Iran-U.S. tensions.

A Gulf Arab state that – unusually – maintains friendly ties with both the United States and Iran, Oman has previously been an important go-between for the two countries that severed diplomatic relations in 1980.