The Sultanate and the United States of America signed Sunday a framework agreement between the Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense.

The agreement was signed by Mohammed bin Nasser bin Mohammed al-Rasbi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense and J. Severs, the US Ambassador to the Sultanate, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.

The agreement enhances the Omani-American military relations. It will allow US forces to take advantage from the facilities offered at some of the Sultanate’s ports and airports during visits of the US military vessels and aircrafts, particularly in the port of Duqm.

The Omani ports of Duqm and Salalah are located just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow outlet through which about a fifth of the world’s oil trade exits the Persian Gulf. Tehran has often said it would block the channel in retaliation for U.S. sanctions that are hurting its economy, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

In another development, Lt. General Ahmed bin Harith al-Nabhani, Chief-of-Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) received in his office at Mu’askar Al Murtafaa in Muscat Sunday Major General Anil Kumar, Commander of the Mountain Division in the Indian Army, currently visiting the Sultanate.

The meeting exchanged viewpoints and discussed a number of matters of common concern between the two friendly countries.

The meeting was attended by Commodore Shamis bin Mohammed al-Habsi, SAF Assistant Chief-of-Staff for Administration and a number of senior COSAF officers.