“We are in touch with the US and Iran,” Yousef Bin Alawi was cited as saying on Sunday by the state-run Oman News Agency at the Munich Security Conference.

“We feel that there is a possibility of dialogue between them.”

Iran and Oman share age-old and close diplomatic, economic, and commercial ties.

Tensions have been running high between Tehran and Washington since 2018, when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran has ruled out talks with the US unless Washington returns to the nuclear deal and ends the sanctions.

Earlier this years. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated Haitham bin Tariq on assuming the throne as the new sultan of Oman, hoping for the development of ties between Tehran and Muscat.

Rouhani also wished health and success for the new sultan and prosperity for the “brotherly” nation of Oman in the south of Iran.

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The previous rounds of the conference have been marked with its anti-Zionism and participants from four corners of the world included a number of outspoken experts protesting Israel for its occupation and atrocities against Palestinian people, or criticizing the United States for its endless wars which have left millions of casualties and calamities for the humanity.

Another edition of the event had shed light on the role of Hollywood in propagating political interests of global hegemony and in promoting and supporting the Zionist agenda through the language of art. This was indeed one of the main reasons the American administration decided to put the conference and its organizers on the list of US sanctions earlier this year, in February.

Now, with the conference going to open with a long list of figures from different nationalities, from as far as China to Russia, the Middle East and Europe, unable to prevent the conference, US officials have resorted to intimidation of American invitees to prevent them from joining the event.

According to the organizers of the conference, American guests on the list of invitees have been facing threats and harassments from FBI. The security agents have appeared at their doorsteps warning them of ‘dire consequences’ if they ‘ever tried to reattend the NHC,’ the invitees have informed the organizers.

In mid-August, three of the guests broke the news in interviews with Press TV revealing that they have been warned by FBI of a wide range of punishments from $50,000 in fine to years-long prison sentences. Former Pentagon official Michael Maloof, a former US diplomat in Saudi Arabia J. Michael Springmann, and Scott Rickard, a former service member to US Air Force and NSA, were those telling Press TV that the aim of such bullying threats was to “prevent Americans from learning about Iran, experiencing Iran, and exchanging ideas with anyone from Iran.”

According to the organizers, all the American invitees had informed them that to avoid further intimidation from the American government, they had to cancel their trips to Lebanon and couldn’t take part at the conference.

The sanctions against the New Horizon Organization were set in February 2019 targeting among other individuals, media figure and chairman of the NHC Nader Talebzadeh and his wife. “It is both sad and hilarious,” had written Talebzadeh in his letter of opposition to the US Treasury then, “that such a government with the claim of Democracy and freedom of speech should go for harassment of his own citizens for taking part in a ‘forum for free thought’.”

The sanctions and intimidation against the conference comes despite the fact that the event is sponsored by Custodianship of Holy Shrine of Hazrat Massoumah in city of Qom which is a religious entity and promotes peace and prevention of war through such events aimed at raising awareness among the public across the world. Similarly, the 2018 conference was sponsored by Holy Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, Northeast of Iran.

Michael Maloof had earlier noticed that they had attended the conference for dialogue and by a desire to build diplomatic bridges; “we’re all still US patriots, but we believe there’s another way to go about things than looking at everything in Iran through the prism of Israel.”

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“The seizure of Iranian tanker in Gibraltar was illegal and will definitely be to their detriment,” said Rouhani, his office reported.

He went on to say that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to stand against any kind of violation of regulations that endangers the security of navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.”

“Iran is willing to develop ties and relations with Oman at different levels to serve both nations’ interests,” he added.

Iran and Oman are the main responsible parties for ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz, said the President, adding, “the Islamic Republic of Iran always attempts to make sure that the Sea of Oman, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are safe and secure for free international navigation.”

“The presence of foreign forces does not only not contribute to the security of the region, but also will be the main cause of regional tensions,” he said.

Rouhani also underscored the reconstruction of Syria and the return of refugees to the country, as well as stopping the killing of innocent people in Yemen, saying, “we should cooperate in sending humanitarian aid and medicine to the innocent Yemenis.”

Describing the acts of aggression of the Zionist Regime and the killing of Palestinians and destruction of their houses another important issue of the region, adding, “crude, dangerous planning for the future of Palestine under the name of the Deal of the Century are a cause of worry.”

The issues of the region are in some way intertwined, said the President, continuing, “if we want the region to develop, everybody must attempt to establish lasting stability and security in the entire region.”

He said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never started tensions with other countries, adding, “the unpleasant incidents and tensions in the region today are rooted in the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).”

Yusuf bin Alaw, for his part, delivered the greetings of Sultan Qaboos to Rouhani and said, “Tehran-Muscat relations have been developing in different fields, especially trade and investment.”

“The two nations welcome the deepening of relations and cooperation between Iran and Oman,” he continued.

He went on to say, “today, the region is experiencing fabricated and proxy crises, and the establishment of sustainable security in the region will definitely not be possible without Iran’s involvement.”

The Omani FM added, “despite all challenges that they are facing, Iran and Oman should do their best to establish sustainable stability and security in the region.”

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This is the second time in the past two months that the Oman minister is visiting Iran.

Previously in May, bin Alawi and Zarif held talks on the bilateral ties, regional and international issues in Tehran.

Oman is trying ‘with other parties’ to reduce tensions between the United States and Iran, the Omani Foreign Ministry tweeted on May 24.

“There is a danger that a war breaks out, hurting the whole world … Both parties, the American and the Iranian, are aware of the danger,” the tweet cited the Omani minister as saying in an interview with an Arabic publication, according to Reuters.

Oman maintains friendly ties with both the United States and Iran and has previously been an important go-between for the two countries, which severed diplomatic relations in 1980.

The country played a positive role in the preliminary nuclear negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, France, Britain and Germany) and hosted several rounds of the talks that ultimately led to a landmark 2015 deal between Iran and the major world powers.

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