TEHRAN (Defapress) - Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, met with Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Raisi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman, this morning (Tuesday). During the meeting, he welcomed the Omani delegation and expressed gratitude for the hospitality during his visit to Muscat, the capital of Oman. He stated: "Fortunately, the relations between the 2 countries are friendly, historical, and enduring, and the leaders of both countries consistently pursue this policy."
Major General Bagheri added: "Our relations with the Sultanate of Oman are strong and stable; however, given recent developments in the region, they must be expanded more than ever before. Fortunately, what is noteworthy is the stability, continuity, and increasing development of relations between the armed forces of the 2 countries."
The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, while inviting Oman to participate in the "Maritime Security Belt" exercise with the presence of observers and vessels, emphasized: "The development of maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman is essential to combat smuggling and ensure maritime security."
He continued: "There are many capacities for interaction between the armed forces of the 2 countries in various dimensions, including education, military, and cultural fields. Among these is the use of this capacity for counter-terrorism training."
Major General Bagheri also thanked Oman for its political cooperation with Iran.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces noted: "Given the savage and expansionist nature of the Zionist regime, which is always seeking territorial expansion, the only way to confront this occupying and terrorist regime is through the unity and solidarity of the countries in the region."
In another part of the meeting, the 2 sides reviewed the regional situation, particularly the genocide of the oppressed Palestinian people in Gaza, and strongly condemned the sinister plan of displacing and expelling Palestinians from their homeland.
Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Raisi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman, stated in the meeting that the relations between the 2 countries have long been based on mutual trust. He said: "Oman has always emphasized the development of relations between the 2 countries at all levels."
He added: "There has always been appropriate interaction and cooperation between the military and security forces of the 2 countries."
Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Raisi, referring to the interactions between the armed forces of Oman and Iran, emphasized: "Good coordination has been established to expand cooperation between the 2 sides in the fields of naval exercises, education, military, technical and industrial cooperation, and maritime security police."
The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman said: "Given recent developments in the region, we will make every effort to promote rationality in the region, as the nations of the region are its rightful owners. Unfortunately, however, some extra-regional countries are seeking to disrupt convergence."