Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 cooperation."
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.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.