President Rouhani, pursuing his strategy of engagement of Gulf States, began two days of talks in Oman on Wednesday.SeeIran Feature: President Rouhanis Trip to Oman
The statements from Rouhanis discussions with Omans Sultan Qaboos were the standard cordial rhetoric praising good relations, but Iran outlet pointedly declared that they can set the example for other countries in the region.
Rouhani is seeking an accommodation with Saudi Arabia, which has long been in conflict with Iran over Syria, Iraq, and other regional issues. Sources say that, following back-channel contacts between former Iranian President Hassan Rafsanjani and Saudi King Abdullah, the Iranian President may visit Riyadh in April.
SeeSupreme Leader Approves Rafsanjanis Back-Channel Talks With Saudi Arabia?
Iranian media briefly mentioned that Rouhani and Qaboo considered the crisis in Syria and the security of the Straits of Hormuz, as well as agreeing to expand cooperation in areas such as energy, shipping, customs, finance, tourism, and education.
More substantially, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and Omani counterpart Mohammad bin Hamd Al Ramhisigned a 25-year contract, worth $60 billion, for exports of Iranian natural gas exports to Oman. The agreement also permits the marketing of Tehrans natural gas by joint venture companies.
Revolutionary Guards Newspaper Erases Mother of Slain Blogger from Photo with EUs Ashton
As leading Iranian officials have criticized the European Unions Catherine Ashton for meeting womens right activists, the hardline Javan newspaper has tried another approach to downplay the encounter.
Javan, linked to the Revolutionary Guards doctored a photographof the meeting to erase Gohar Eshghi, the mother of blogger Sattar Beheshti, killed in detention in November 2012.
High-Level Officials Continue Attacks on Ashton Over Meeting with Womens Rights Activists
For the third day in a row, senior Iranian officials have attacked the European Unions Catherine Ashton, the lead nuclear negotiator for the 5+1 Powers, for her meeting with womens rights activists in Tehran.
Ashton, in Iran for talks before high-level nuclear discussions resume in Vienna on Saturday, met the women in the Austrian Embassy. Participants included activist Narges Mohammadi, who was imprisoned for her work with the Center for Defenders of Human Rights, and the mother of blogger Sattar Beheshti, killed in detention in November 2012.
Judiciary head Sadegh Larijaniwarned the Rouhani Governmenton Wednesday that he will begin action if such a trend continues.
The head of Irans armed forces, General Hassan Firouzabadi, said, If Ms. Ashton intends to (begin) another seditionin Iran, she will take this wish to the grave.
Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, deputy head of armed forces Massoud Jazayeri, and senior MPs have also denounced the encounter with seditionists, and the Foreign Ministry has complained to the Austrian Embassy.
A group of students were mobilized on Wednesday toprotest outside the Embassy.
Sadegh Larijani also joinedthe regimes criticism of Ban Ki-Moonover the United Nations Secretary-Generals remarks about human rights and executions in Iran.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Leaders senior advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati,chided Banfor interfering in Irans internal affairs by supporting dissident leaders.
The Secretary-General, reporting to the UN Human Rights Council, in which he urged President Rouhani to consider the immediate release of opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Mousavi and Karroubi, both candidates in the disputed 2009 Presidential election, have been held under strict house arrest for more than three years.
By Ea World View
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles
