WEB DESK

US President Donald Trump has asked Oman’s sultan to help counter Iran’s destabilising activities in the west Asia. The White House said the president spoke by phone with Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said yesterday.

The brief readout says Trump stressed the need for close bilateral cooperation. The leaders also discussed ways to resolve regional conflicts and counter Iran’s destabilising activities.

The unassuming Arab Gulf sultanate has played a key role as a mediator in the west Asia, from hosting secret talks
between Washington and Tehran over the Islamic Republic’s contested nuclear program to seeking a negotiated resolution to the ongoing fighting in Yemen.

In the process, Oman has struggled to keep the peace among the much larger powers that surround it, including archrivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.