Local Editor
Oman on Thursday categorically denied reports claiming it is turning a blind eye to the smuggling of weapons to the Houthi Ansarullah revolutionaries 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.
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.
Oman is the only Gulf country that refused to participate in the Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen, and has stressed that dialogue is the only way forward.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
