VZCZCXRO5004
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHMS #0835 2170849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 050851Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0666
INFO IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000835 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KMDR IR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN/IRAN: QABOOS IN TEHRAN 
 
REF: MUSCAT 833; MUSCAT 823 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  The Sultan's visit to Iran (Ref A) dominated local 
media on Wednesday, August 5 and appears to have been featured 
prominently in Iran.  Coverage of meetings with Iran's president and 
supreme leader (referred to variously by that title or as "leader of 
the revolution"), along with stories on ministerial level meetings, 
made no mention of how Qaboos will fill the rest of his time in the 
Islamic Republic.  He was not, however, present in coverage of the 
inauguration that took place in Tehran Wednesday morning.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) All Omani media showcase the Iranian visit, highlighting the 
arrival ceremonies and Qaboos's meeting with Ahmedinijad, but giving 
special prominence to the meeting with Supreme Leader Khamanei (with 
a clear, if unspoken, sense that the royal peer is indeed the head of 
state rather than the head of government).  English and Arabic papers 
referred to Khamenei variously as "supreme leader" and "leader of the 
revolution"; one described him simply as "a senior cleric," and 
several resorted, unusually, to using only his surname for most of 
their reporting.  Coverage in both Arabic and English is almost 
wholly formulaic and follows precedents set by previous royal 
regional visits.  Significant space is devoted to meetings held by 
the delegation accompanying the Sultan (Ref B), noting that the 
traveling ministers met with their counterparts.  Projects reported 
to have been discussed include petrochemical cooperation, a 
"crimefighting" security agreement, and enhanced tourism and 
professional exchange. 
 
¶3.  (U) Editorial content was limited to columns in the Arabic state 
daily "Oman" and one private Arabic daily, "Al Watan."  Both praise 
the visit in general terms as a reflection of wise Omani regional and 
foreign policy and as a step toward greater bilateral and regional 
cooperation.  "Al Watan" notes that it comes at time when the new 
American administration "might achieve what the former president 
could not" in terms of warmer U.S.-Iran relations. 
 
¶4.  (U) The Iranian presidency's statement on the visit highlighted 
quotes attributed to the Sultan calling his trip a "turning point" in 
Oman-Iran relations, saying that he "felicitated" the president on 
his re-election and anticipated that the visit "will bear fruitful 
results for Iran and Oman."  Iranian coverage also featured the 
Supreme Leader's admonition to Qaboos that "The US and some 
meddlesome states by continuously injecting insecurity and suspicion 
have never allowed the sensitive Persian Gulf region to witness 
calm."  None of these details appear in Omani coverage. 
 
¶5.  (U) Public reaction in Muscat remains light.  Commenters on the 
popular Al-Sablah 2 Internet forum (omania2.net) query the value of 
enhanced Oman-Iran relations and specifically any security agreement, 
saying that in light of Oman's history (which includes repeated 
Persian invasions) the Iranians are not trustworthy partners. 
Another notes sarcastically the lack of a common language between the 
Sultan and the Iranian president, wondering if each fully understood 
the other. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT:  Neither Omani nor Iranian coverage of the visit to 
date includes any surprises.  The former positions the Sultan's trip 
firmly within existing Omani foreign policy goals, while the latter 
(to the extent possible without offending Omani sensitivities) 
promotes it to demonstrate the Iranian government's legitimacy and 
stability.  While nothing has been made public about the balance of 
the royal visit, Qaboos's absence from coverage of Wednesday 
morning's inauguration and the lack of any additional announced 
meetings seem to indicate that its public portion has ended.  END 
COMMENT. 
HURTADO