A phone call between the US Secretary of State and his Omani counterpart to discuss regional tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi held a phone call on Tuesday to discuss ongoing negotiations on the war with Iran, according to statements issued by both officials.

A statement issued by the US State Department said that Rubio "praised the important role of the Sultanate of Oman in calming tension in the region, and condemned the recent Iranian attacks on commercial ships" during the call.

The conversation between the two sides came after plans to hold a meeting, yesterday, Monday, that would have included the Sultanate of Oman, Iran, and other countries overlooking the Gulf to discuss the Strait of Hormuz issue, faltered. Al-Busaidi said on Sunday that the talks were postponed “in order to reach a consensus.”

Earlier, an Arab official reported that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed concerns that the wording proposed before the meeting might actually lead to the establishment of a new reality that is unacceptable to it or to other Arab countries overlooking the Gulf. The official added that the Saudi side submitted amendments to the proposed wording.