Oman joins Saudi 'anti-terror' coalition

SANA’A: Oman, which generally stays neutral in the face of regional disputes, has joined a Saudi-led military coalition aimed at “fighting terrorism,” official media in Riyadh said Thursday.

The Gulf sultanate, which maintains good ties with rival powerhouses Iran and Saudi Arabia, becomes the 41st nation in the alliance announced last year by the Saudi defence minister, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The official SPA agency said Mohammed received a message from his Omani counterpart praising Saudi efforts in showing “leadership in the Islamic military coalition in fighting terrorism”.

Oman is one of the few Arab states not to have joined a Saudi-led military coalition battling rebels in Yemen and has hosted several rounds of talks aimed at ending the conflict raging there since March 2015.

Little information has been provided on the anti-extremist alliance since Riyadh announced its formation in December 2015.