Amid high tensions in the Middle East, Omani Foreign Minister Yousef bin Alawi recently met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran and committed to strengthening bilateral ties. The two countries also held joint military exercises in February. In an email interview, David Dunford, a U.S. ambassador to Oman from 1992-1995 who currently teaches political science at the University of Arizona, discussed Iran-Oman relations.
WPR: What is the current state of Iran-Oman trade and diplomatic relations?
David Dunford: Oman and Iran have long had diplomatic relations, and there was no break in those relations after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. When I was in Oman in the early 1990s, Oman maintained diplomatic relations with both Iraq and Iran, despite the hostility between the two. This reflects Oman's desire to maintain normal relations with all countries, especially its neighbors. Iran is only a few miles away from the northern tip of the Musandam Peninsula across the Strait of Hormuz, but despite its proximity, Iran is not currently a major trading partner. Nevertheless, since Sultan Qaboos paid an official visit to Iran in 2009, both governments have repeatedly taken steps to increase the visibility of the economic relationship. Iran opened an Iran Trading Center in Muscat, and Oman hosted an Iran trade exhibition in February and reportedly plans to open a trade center in Tehran.