MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2019) UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his Omani counterpart, Yousef bin Alawi, have signed the UK-Oman Comprehensive Agreement and confirmed joint efforts in mediating peace in the middle East, the UK Foreign Office said on Thursday.
In late 18th century, the United Kingdom and Oman signed the first in a series of friendship treaties, including the 1800 "Unshook" treaty pledging friendship "to the end of time, till the sun and the moon have finished their revolving career," covering a wide array of bilateral relations.
"Today, we are honoured to have signed the Comprehensive Agreement on Enduring Friendship in the same spirit. This agreement, in addition to the Joint Defence Agreement signed in 21 February 2019, is a firm demonstration of our commitment to take our centuries-old relationship into a new era of cooperation, sharing expertise and experiences which will benefit generations to come, including in people to people links, technology, science, education, health, culture, innovation, prosperity and growth, and fisheries and agriculture," both ministers said as quoted in a press release.
According to the text, London and Muscat have already discussed brokering peace in Yemen, and are currently in contact with both Iran and the United States in attempt to prevent further escalation.
On May 20, a source close to Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi told Sputnik there were six states currently mediating the resolution of conflict between Washington and Tehran, namely Iraq, Japan, Oman, Russia, Qatar and Switzerland.
On May 15, the Foreign Office announced entering its so-called crisis mode, entailing 24/7 service, amid growing tensions between the United States and Iran after Washington increased its military buildup in the region, deploying Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, Patriot missile defense system and other military hardware in vicinity of Iran.
Since his election in 2016, US President Donald Trump has antagonized the 2015 international nuclear agreement on Iran and unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018, imposing several consecutive rounds of economic sanctions on Tehran. On May 8, 2019, Iran announced its own decision to partially discontinue its obligations under the deal. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that Iran does not intend to wage war with the United States but will continue to resist Washington.
