Top US, Omani diplomats hold call on Middle East

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday spoke via phone with his Omani counterpart, Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, the State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced. 

The two discussed "the state of the region, including the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the need to secure the release of all hostages, efforts to sustain assistance flows into Gaza, Syria’s political future, and the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon," the readout showed.

Rubio also "discussed the importance of permanently ending unlawful Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways," and "expressed his thanks for Oman’s critical and timely facilitation of the release of the MV Galaxy Leader crew, whom the Houthis had illegally detained for more than a year," Bruce said.