Trump asks Oman’s sultan to help counter Iranian activities

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is asking Oman’s sultan to help counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East.

The White House said the president spoke by phone with Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said Tuesday.

The brief readout says Trump stressed the need for “close bilateral co-operation.”

The leaders also discussed “ways to resolve regional conflicts” and counter Iran’s destabilizing activities.

The unassuming Arab Gulf sultanate has played a key role as a mediator in the Middle East, 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.