Iran turns to pragmatism as Israel woos Oman
While Iran is unlikely to have been happy about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Oman, it has tried to remain pragmatic in order to prevent tensions with a longstanding Arab friend.
Oct. 26 was marked by a rare development in the Middle East: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Oman, the first official trip by an Israeli leader to the Persian Gulf nation since 1996, where he was welcomed by Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
News of Netanyahu’s trip made waves in Iranian media. Regardless of Iran’s turbulent relations with other Arab states, Oman has for years maintained warm and friendly ties with the Islamic Republic. As part of this posture, Muscat has remained neutral toward the political rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Thus, at a time when Israel and Saudi Arabia are more than ever before moving closer to each other, Oman’s welcoming of Netanyahu could have many different implications for Iran.
