Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, arriving in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for a four-day visit to the region, urged Iran’s neighbors to stay focused on enforcing sanctions.

“We don’t want anyone to be misled by anyone’s intelligence analysis — this remains a serious concern,” the New York Times quoted Clinton as telling reporters traveling with her. “We expect all of our partners who share that concern, as these countries certainly do, to stay as focused as they can, and to do everything within reason that will help to implement these sanctions.”
Dubai and other Persian Gulf emirates have curtailed their banking relationships with Iran, under pressure from the United States and the West. But they are loath to provoke a confrontation with Tehran.
The remarks by Clinton came as Iran’s interior minister was holding talks with senior Omani officials including Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in Muscat.
Sultan Qaboos said Iran and Oman stand beside each other like “two brothers” and nothing can make a split between them.
In her current tour to the region Clinton also plans to visit Qatar, a country whose leader visited Tehran on December 20. Qatar has also announced its readiness to hold military war games with Iran in the Persian Gulf waters.
Despite efforts by Washington to demonize Iran in the eyes of Arabs, Amr Mousa, the Arab League chief, told reporters in Baghdad on Sunday that Iran “is not a threat to Arab states at all.”