Omani foreign minister meets Iranian president

(3 Dec 2019) LEAD IN:
The Omani foreign minister is visiting Tehran for the third time in less than a year.
Yusuf bin Alawi met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, discussing regional and international matters during their talk.

STORY-LINE
The top diplomat of Oman, the Mideast mediator, meets with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday in Tehran.  
Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi and Rouhani discussed bilateral ties, as well as regional and international issues, according to Iranian state television.
The meeting comes after bin Alawi held a round of talks with high-level Iranian politicians the day before, including Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
This is the Omani foreign minister's third visit to Tehran in the past nine months.
When he visited in July, bin Alawi held talks with Zarif after weeks of volatility over the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for a fifth of all globally traded crude.
Oman is seen as a neutral Gulf Arab country that has acted as a facilitator for talks between the US and Iran in the past.
Last year, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the landmark nuclear accord with Iran, abruptly restoring harsh sanctions in the most consequential foreign policy action of his presidency.
In the time since, regional tensions have risen dramatically.
The crushing US sanctions have also taken a toll on Iran's economy.
Due to the sanctions and the depreciating rial currency, Iran's 80 million people struggle to buy meat, medicine and other staples of daily life.
The Omani foreign minister's visit comes on the heels of widespread protests in Iran, violence and a security force crackdown following a spike in government-set gasoline prices.
Maintaining its role as the region's top diplomat, Oman has also recently started mediating between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The Oman-mediated talks began in September.

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