Muscat: Oman on Thursday categorically denied reports claiming it is turning a blind eye to the smuggling of Iranian weapons to Al Houthis in Yemen through its territory.
”It’s untrue. This report has no basis. No weapons cross Omani territories to Yemen,” the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted on its official twitter handle on Thursday.
“The issues have been discussed with the Coalition countries, the US and the UK and have been refuted,” said the ministry.
The ministry added that Yemeni coastal areas near Oman do not fall under the scope of any governmental authority and are therefore used by weapons smugglers.
Reuters reported on Thursday that Iran has stepped up weapons transfers to Al Houthis, the militia fighting the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, through Oman.
The report added that the recent smuggling activity has been through Oman, which neighbours Yemen, including via overland routes, taking advantage of porous borders between the two countries, the officials said.
A senior US administration official said that Washington had informed Oman of its concerns, without specifying when.
“We have been concerned about the recent flow of weapons from Iran into Yemen and have conveyed those concerns to those who maintain relations with the Houthis, including the Omani government,” the official told Reuters.
Yemeni and senior regional officials say the Omanis are not actively involved with the transfers, but rather turning a blind eye and failing to aggressively crack down on the flow, according to the report.
Yousuf Bin Alawi, the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, said in a recent interview with the Saudi daily Okaz that no Iranian weapons have crossed Omani territory into Yemen.
“If there is any doubt, Oman is ready to clarify to our brothers in Saudi Arabia,” Bin Alawi added.
He affirmed that Oman does not have a special relationship with Al Houthi militants in Yemen.
“Our relationship with Al Houthis is the same as with other countries,” Bin Alawi said.
In September, Reuters reported that allies of Yemen’s president found weapons bound for Al Houthi forces on trucks with Omani licence plates, although there was no evidence of any links to Omani authorities, who are neutral in the Yemen war.
Oman is the only Gulf country that refused to participate in the Saudi-led Operation Storm of Resolve in Yemen, and has stressed that dialogue is the only way forward.
