Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said is set to visit Moscow on Monday, on the same day as a new round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran. The diplomatic trip will have the Sultan meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin.
The Sultan’s visit coincides with the current US-Iran nuclear talks in Rome, which started on Saturday. The talks are intended to resolve the long-standing conflict over Iran’s nuclear program, a key issue that has witnessed diplomatic tension for decades. The talks come under the shadow of the 2018 withdrawal by former US President Donald Trump from the historic nuclear deal and his threat of military action.
Prior to the negotiations in Rome, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi sat down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. After their talks, Lavrov signaled Russia’s willingness to help and facilitate the negotiations between Iran and the US, underlining Moscow’s role as a supporter.
The visit of the Sultan to Moscow will probably touch on a broad agenda. Official announcements by the Omani state news agency and the Kremlin have assured that Sultan Haitham’s talks with President Putin will touch on regional and international issues, though details are thin. Moreover, the two leaders will probably discuss deepening economic and trade ties between Oman and Russia.
Moscow has traditionally had a major part to play in Iran’s nuclear talks, particularly as a UN Security Council permanent member and as one of the signatories to the initial nuclear agreement.
