Navigation

Iran conducted a military exercise called the "Devotees of Velayat" during the second week of December. The manoevres involved the country's entire armed forces, including units of the Islamic Republic Army, Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC), Islamic Republic Police Force (IRPF) and Basij (mobilization) voluntary forces. Women members from the basiji Al-Zahra battalion 530 of Chabahar carried out relief and rescue operations from helicopters.

An Iranian admiral confirmed that the war games stretched over 33 nautical miles from the strategic Straits of Hormuz (overlooked by the Musandam of Oman) to Chabahar in the southeastern-most province bordering the north Indian Ocean, near to Pakistan.

At the start of the games, "eight cannon balls were fired as a sign of peace and friendship with the Muslim countries of the littoral states of the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean."

Iranian forces successfully fired Silkworm surface-to-sea missiles with a range of 110 kilometers (68 miles) and commissioned Iran's second, locally built submarine, The Ghadir.

President Ahmedinejad of Iran came to Chabahar oversee the final stages of the exercise on 14th December

In contrast with doubts expressed by the UAE at the recent AGCC summit, Oman, according to 'informed sources', does not believe that Iran is an imminent threat. Khaleej Times

Indeed, Oman regularly holds political discussions with its Iranian counterparts. The 15th meeting of the joint political committee between the two countries ended in Muscat four or five days ago.

IRNA quoted Ahmed bin Yousuf Al Harthy, head of the Arab Department at Oman's Foreign Ministry as saying that H M Sultan Qaboos bin Said attached "great importance to bolstering ties with Iran through the establishment of various political, technical, military and scientific committees and exchange of visits, adding that Muscat believes that Iran, as a leading country in the region, enjoys a special position."

Al Harthy's Iranian counterpart, was Mostafa Haeri Foumani, director-general for Persian Gulf Affairs at the Foreign Ministry. As senior civil servants, the two would not be in a position to discuss international strategic arrangements formally, and no mention was made of any written communication between the governments, a matter which is normally handled by government ministers or ambassadors.

So it is sheer coincidence that General John Abizaid, commander of the American Central Command, was received by H M Sultan Qaboos the day that the Iranian meeting ended and held talks with Oman's minister responsible for foreign affairs the day after. And that US vice-president Dick Cheney stopped over in Muscat the previous week. Isn't it?

Undoubtedly the meetings reflect Oman's declared policy of openness in foreign affairs.