"Is Oman Helping Iran To Smuggle Weapons To ..." Topic

…Yemen's Houthi Rebels?.

"Iran has stepped up weapons transfers to the Houthis, the militia fighting the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, U.S., Western and Iranian officials tell Reuters, a development that threatens to prolong and intensify the 19-month-old war.

The increased pace of transfers in recent months, which officials said include missiles and small arms, could exacerbate a security headache for the United States, which last week struck Houthi targets with cruise missiles in retaliation for failed missile attacks on a U.S. Navy destroyer.

Much of the recent smuggling activity has been through Oman, which neighbors Yemen, including via overland routes that take advantage of porous borders between the two countries, the officials said…"
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Amicalement
Armand

I'm shocked !!!!!!!!!!!!

Probably not so much official Omani policy as simply it being a huge area with no-one in it …

Most of the area has no one in it … a desert wasteland …

Can't say, since I'm not really up on Omani politics, but nothing would surprise me in that region of the world.

No idea about which way the very quiet Omanis swing. According to Wikipedia they maintain "friendly" relations with Iran but then they maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia too.

Does the Iranian friendship extend to supporting large scale weapons smuggling to Houthi rebels fighting Sunni's including Saudi Arabia.

Any smuggling from Iran needs to come via the sea. They've been ramping up their military including air surveillance and naval patrol capabilities.

Also Houthis do not control the Yemen-Oman border – they're hundreds of miles away from it. That areas is anti-Houthi or Al Qaeda!

Have the Houthis managed to bribe some anti-Houthi and AQ forces to allow for uninterrupted flow of weapons?

Or are the weapons going from Oman to Saudi Arabia and then to Houthis via porous borders?!?

All very interesting.

Difficult one to assess – and very much a case of my enemy's enemy etc… In the closing days of the insurgency (PFLOSY and PFLOAG) there WAS an Iranian battle group in Iran – but that was when the Shah was still on the Peacock Throne. Yemen was definitely the issue then but mostly because of its left wing or Soviet leanings – Saudi has always been the big and worrying neighbour so it could make sense. Quaboos has been the staunchest ally the West has bar none in the region, but when the fundamentalists made their Arab Spring push and the West cheered them on -he was I believe disappojnted to say the least. Also his oldest supporter – the UK – is now pretty much toothless, and the US totally unpredictable and with an understanding of foreign affairs by the current Administration worthy of a three year it is probably not silly to keep options open. The Sultan must also think of his succession – he cannot go on forever, mores the pity.
C

So Iran smuggles weapons… Saudis , quataris and Turks do? Charity work?

I suspect there are some sympathetic Saudis, and/or workers there as well that might help for the right price.

Getting caught doing that though, would probably be very bad for one's health.

Regarding foreign policy – Oman seems to be exceptionally pragmatic.

That it is a friend of the West doesn't mean the Omanis can't also be friends with Iran.

They seme to just want to kepe their heads down and ge ton with life. If more nations in the region wer elike them, life would be easier.