Oman foreign minister arrives in Iran for talks

TEHRAN

Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi arrived in Tehran on Saturday for talks with Iranian officials, according to an Omani Foreign Ministry statement.

Bin Alawi will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif and other officials on the latest developments in the region, the ministry said in a statement.

The visit came amid rising tension between Iran and the U.S. since Washington unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on Tehran.

Last week, Oman urged Iran to release a U.K.-flagged oil tanker, which Tehran captured in the Strait of Hormuz in a retaliatory move after London seized an Iranian-flagged tanker off Gibraltar, a British overseas territory that abuts southern Spain.