Oman urges de-escalation during Iran FM visit

Oman's foreign minister on Sunday called for de-escalation during a visit by his Iranian counterpart who started a regional tour in Muscat where he met a spokesman for Yemen's Houthi rebels. 

The visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian came almost a week after an air strike in Damascus levelled the Iranian embassy's consular annexe and further raised regional tensions.

The attack, which Tehran blamed on Israel, killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members including two generals. Iranian leaders have called for retaliation.

"Oman supports efforts to reduce escalation in the region, address various issues and conflicts, and for the voice of wisdom to prevail," Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi said in a statement carried by the official Oman News Agency.

Oman has long been a mediator between Tehran and the West.

"The Palestinian issue is the main issue that we are working to overcome," the minister said.