Kerry met Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi for about an hour on the sidelines of an African Union summit on Saturday, discussing Syria’s civil war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, human rights in Egypt and the country’s faltering economy, the official said.

Egypt’s Islamist-led government has been resistant to introducing the austerity measures needed to win the IMF funding, including raising taxes and cutting fuel subsidies, fearing such painful reforms could provoke social unrest.

However, an IMF deal could help shore up investor and donor concerns after two years of political instability since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak in early 2011. The instability has depressed tourism, a crucial industry for Egypt.

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Kerry had made the argument that the reforms were necessary to persuade American lawmakers to proceed with further economic support for the country, which borders U.S. ally Israel.

“He urged action on making reforms happen now to move towards requirements to get the IMF package,” the official said.

During his first visit to Cairo as secretary of state, on March 3, Kerry told Mursi the United States would provide the first $190 million of $450 million in pledged budget support because of Mursi’s commitment to see the IMF process through.

The remainder, however, would depend on the economic reforms, a point Kerry made again in the Ethiopian capital.

“He said … we need to be able to show Congress that you have taken the necessary reforms,” said the official. “I have been a strong advocate of support for Egypt. I continue to support aid for Egypt, but … we need to see reforms in place that will encourage my former colleagues back at home to act.”

Kerry served in the U.S. Senate for nearly 30 years before becoming the country’s top diplomat on February 1.

Egypt has in recent years received about $1.3 billion in military aid from Washington, support that dates back to its signing of a peace treaty with Israel more than 30 years ago. That assistance, however, is not seen as contingent on Egyptian economic reform.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Pravin Char)

On a visit to Israel, Secretary of State John Kerry also warned that time was running out to resolve the deadlock over Iran’s contested nuclear program.

Iran’s Guardian Council, the state body that vets all candidates, has barred a number of hopefuls from the roster in the June 14 ballot, including former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is seen as sympathetic to reform.

“The Council narrowed a list of almost seven hundred potential candidates down to…officials of their choice, based solely on who represents the regime’s interests,” Kerry said shortly before flying out of Israel.

“That is hardly an election by standards which most people in most countries judge free, fair, open, accessible, accountable elections.”

Most of the remaining eight men left on the Iranian ballot are seen as loyalists to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Kerry, whose country’s decades-old rift with Iran has widened over the latter’s nuclear ambitions, said Washington saw “troubling signs” that the Iranian government was slowing down or cutting off Internet access to its citizens.

“Ultimately the Iranian people (will) be prevented not only from choosing someone who might have reflected their point of view, but also taking part in a way that is essential to any kind of legitimate democracy,” he said.

Israel and most Western powers, including the United States, believe Iran is seeking to obtain nuclear weapons – something Tehran has denied.

Israel, which is assumed to have its own nuclear arsenal, has warned it might attack Iran if it does not halt its atomic work, but Kerry said he hoped a diplomatic solution could still be found.

“Our hope is, for the sake of the region, the world, the Iranian people, ourselves, that we can have a peaceful resolution, but it is going to have to be demonstrated much more affirmatively than it has been to date that Iran is interested in that kind of a solution,” he said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said this week in a report that Iran was trying to accelerate its uranium enrichment program.

“The clock is clearly ticking,” Kerry added.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Writing by Crispian Balmer)

Ending two days of meetings in the region, Kerry said he had had “very productive” talks. But there were no obvious signs of any breakthrough, with neither side offering the sort of compromises needed to end a three-year stalemate.

“We are reaching the time where leaders need to make hard decisions,” Kerry said at the end of his fourth visit to the region in barely two months as he struggles to overcome deeply entrenched positions that have snarled the peace process.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who has held separate talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories to voice support for Kerry, told reporters in Jerusalem he had not yet seen any significant progress.

“I don’t think we are in a position to say that the necessary compromises have been made,” he said.

“Unless bold leadership is there to make the most of this opportunity, then we face a bleak situation in the Middle East,” he added, warning that time was running out to secure an independent nation for the Palestinians.

The Palestinians have repeatedly said they will only resume negotiations if Israel halts settlement building on land seized in the 1967 Middle East War, where it wants to establish its future state.

OUTPOST ANGER

The Israeli government has said there should be no preconditions and drew anger earlier this month when it turned to the courts to try to legalize four unauthorized West Bank settler outposts.

Kerry said he had raised the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose center-right government includes many fervently pro-settler politicians.

“It is also clear that when actions are taken, whether by court or otherwise, it is our view that those actions can be deemed by some to be provocative…So it is our hope that there will be a minimal effort there,” Kerry said.

On taking office in 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama called on Israel to halt its settlement program. Netanyahu agreed to a partial freeze, but did not extend it beyond an initial 10-month period and Washington quietly dropped the demand.

Obama made his first official visit to Jerusalem this March to re-launch U.S. peace efforts, with Palestinian officials talking about a June 7 cut-off point for the U.S.-led diplomacy.

The Palestinians say it is pointless to hold negotiations while the Israeli building continues in the West Bank and east Jerusalem – home to some 500,000 settlers.

In the absence of formal peacemaking, the Palestinians last year gained de-facto statehood recognition at the United Nations. Israel is worried that they will use their new-found status to join the International Criminal Court and pursue war crimes charges against the Jewish state.

EU and U.S. diplomats have warned that the spread of the settlements could prove irreversible and Kerry has said the window of opportunity for securing an historic peace deal might close within two years.

“I made clear in my discussions that the parties should be focused on making progress toward…direct negotiations,” he said on Friday, adding that each side needed to “refrain from provocative rhetoric or actions … that take us backwards.”

(Writing and additional reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

There were no signs of any breakthrough as Kerry visited Israel for the fourth time in his four months in office to try to revive a peace process that has been moribund for more than two years.

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations broke down in late 2010 in a dispute over Israeli construction of Jewish settlements on occupied West Bank land that the Palestinians want for a state.

“I know this region well enough to know that there is skepticism. In some quarters there is cynicism and there are reasons for it. There have been bitter years of disappointment,” Kerry said as he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posed for pictures.

“It is our hope that by being methodical, careful, patient, but detailed and tenacious, that we can lay out a path ahead that can conceivably surprise people but certainly exhaust the possibilities of peace.”

Kerry met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for lunch in the West Bank city of Ramallah and was to return to Jerusalem to see Shimon Peres, who holds Israel’s largely ceremonial post of president, and have breakfast on Friday with Netanyahu.

Before their meeting on Thursday morning, Netanyahu said he wanted to restart peace talks.

“It’s something I hope the Palestinians want as well and we ought to be successful for a simple reason – when there’s a will, we’ll find a way,” Netanyahu said.

The two men discussed ways to advance peace, Kerry’s ideas for an economic plan to boost Palestinian growth and the “escalating violence” in neighboring Syria’s civil war, a senior U.S. State Department official told reporters after the meeting.

SETTLEMENTS

Last week, Kerry telephoned Netanyahu to voice U.S. concern at Israel’s plan to declare legal four unauthorized West Bank settler outposts.

Most of the world deems all Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal. Israel, which captured the land in the 1967 Middle East War, disputes this and distinguishes between about 120 government-authorized settlements and dozens of outposts built by settlers without official sanction.

The main issues that would have to be resolved in a peace agreement include the borders between Israel and a Palestinian state, the future of Jewish settlements, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.

In his visits to the region, Kerry is also trying to put together an economic package for the Palestinians to go alongside the U.S. political initiative.

European diplomats, in meetings with Palestinian leaders, have been trying to steer them away from any notion the European Union might present a peace plan of its own. British Foreign Secretary of William Hague was also due to hold talks with Netanyahu and Abbas later on Thursday.

(Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Sonya Hepinstall)

Kerry has now visited Israel four times in his four months in office to try to restart peace talks.

The negotiations broke down in late 2010 in a dispute over Israeli building of Jewish settlements on occupied West Bank land that the Palestinians want for a state.

“I know this region well enough to know that there is skepticism, in some quarters there is cynicism and there are reasons for it. There have been bitter years of disappointment,” Kerry said as he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posed for pictures.

“It is our hope that by being methodical, careful, patient, but detailed and tenacious, that we can lay out a path ahead that can conceivably surprise people but certainly exhaust the possibilities of peace.”

Kerry will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later in the day.

Netanyahu said he wanted to restart talks with the Palestinians.

“It’s something I hope the Palestinians want as well and we ought to be successful for a simple reason – when there’s a will, we’ll find a way,” Netanyahu said.

Last week, Kerry telephoned Netanyahu to voice U.S. concern at Israel’s plan to declare legal four unauthorized West Bank settler outposts.

Most of the world deems all Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal. Israel, which captured the land in the 1967 Middle East War, disputes this and distinguishes between about 120 government-authorized settlements and dozens of outposts built by settlers without official sanction.

The main issues that would have to be resolved in a peace agreement include the borders between Israel and a Palestinian state, the future of Jewish settlements, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.

In his visits to the region, Kerry is also trying to put together an economic package for the Palestinians to go alongside the U.S. political initiative.

European diplomats, in meetings with Palestinian leaders, have been trying to steer them away from any notion the European Union might present a peace plan of its own. British Foreign Secretary of William Hague was also due to hold talks with Netanyahu and Abbas later in the day.

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed and Crispian Balmer, Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Angus MacSwan)

Rebels called for reinforcements to combat an “invasion” by Hezbollah and its Iranian backers, days after Assad’s forces launched an offensive against a strategic town that could prove to be a turning point in the war.

The battle for the town of Qusair has brought the worst fighting in months in a war that has already killed more than 80,000 people, and by drawing in Hezbollah has spread sectarian violence across frontiers at the heart of the Middle East.

Washington and Moscow are scrambling to revive diplomacy, compelled to step up peace efforts by new reports of atrocities on both sides, suspicions that chemical weapons have been used and the rise of al Qaeda-linked fighters among Assad’s foes.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said several thousand Hezbollah fighters were taking part in the conflict, with Iranian support on the ground.

Forces loyal to Assad had made gains in recent days, but those were “very temporary,” Kerry told a news conference in Amman before a meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group, made up of Western and regional countries lined up against Assad.

“Just last week, obviously, Hezbollah intervened very, very significantly,” Kerry said. “There are several thousands of Hezbollah militia forces on the ground in Syria who are contributing to this violence and we condemn that.”

At the meeting in Jordan, Kerry sought to rally support from European and Arab states for the latest peace initiative – a call he issued jointly with Russia for a conference, expected to take place in Geneva in the coming weeks.

The United States and European Union have so far shied away from directly arming the rebels, but have given them “non-lethal” support, while Arab backers like Qatar and Saudi Arabia send them weapons. As Russia and Iran supply Assad, Western countries have been balancing their opposition to the president with a worry that arms for rebels may reach al Qaeda-allied Islamists.

The U.S.-Russian proposal for a peace conference has raised suspicion among Arab countries that Washington is watering down support for Assad’s opponents, who had long refused to negotiate unless Assad is excluded from any future settlement.

But the “Friends of Syria” made clear they would give more support to the opposition now to strengthen its hand at the negotiating table, while Kerry suggested still more assistance could come if Assad does not accept a political solution.

“The ministers also emphasized that until such time as the Geneva meeting produces a transitional government, they will further increase their support for the opposition and take all other steps as necessary,” the group said in a final communiqué, without providing details on the kind of aid they may give.

Speaking before the meeting, Kerry told reporters, “In the event that the Assad regime is unwilling to negotiate … in good faith, we will also talk about our continued support and growing support for the opposition in order to permit them to continue to be able to fight for the freedom of their country.”

Russia says talks must include Assad’s government and Iran. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the Syrian government’s response to the U.S.-Russian proposal, while saying the opposition was too divided to agree on its participation.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said Assad’s government would decide soon whether to attend the talks. The opposition is expected to discuss its stance at a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the new Geneva conference “must not include countries which are against the success,” a sign that Paris remains opposed to Iran attending.

‘INVASION’

Rebels fighting for control of Qusair, now the main battle front, called for reinforcements to repel forces loyal to Assad and what they described as an “invasion” by Hezbollah and Iran.

“Everyone who has weapons or ammunition should send them to Qusair and Homs to strengthen its resistance. Every bullet sent to Qusair and Homs will block the invasion that is trying to drag Syria back to the era of fear,” George Sabra, acting head of the opposition National Coalition, said in a statement.

Opposition fighters said air strikes and shelling rocked the small town near the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Assad’s forces are intent on seizing Qusair to cement their hold on a belt of territory that connects the capital, Damascus, to Assad’s stronghold on the Mediterranean coast, heartland of his minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam.

Seizing Qusair would also allow Assad to sever links between rebel-held areas in the north and south of Syria and cut a key supply route for the rebels from Sunni areas of Lebanon.

Some opposition sources said privately they believed that Assad’s forces, led by Hezbollah ground units, had taken about 60 percent of the town. But they said rebels were fighting back hard in a battle that could determine the fate of the uprising.

“If we lose Qusair, we lose Homs, and if we lose Homs, we lose the heart of the country,” said Ahmed, a rebel speaking from the nearby provincial capital of Homs, as explosions and gunfire crackled in the background.

After months of warnings from regional and international experts, violence is now spilling over Syria’s borders, with clashes between pro- and anti-Assad factions in the Lebanese city of Tripoli and exchanges of fire between Syrian and Israeli forces in the Golan Heights.

After a night of violence in Tripoli, the death toll in five days of Sunni-Alawite fighting stood at 13, security sources said.

Israeli forces have bombed Syria to destroy what Israeli officials say are Hezbollah supply routes for Iranian weapons. Israel’s air force chief said on Wednesday that Israel was prepared to attack Syria to keep weapons out of the hands both of Hezbollah and of Sunni militants if Assad were to fall.

“If Syria collapses tomorrow, we will need to take action to prevent a strategic looting of advanced weaponry,” Major-General Amir Eshel said.

Security fears following bombings that killed 51 people in the Turkish town of Reyhanli this month prompted Turkey on Wednesday to close a nearby border crossing with Syria. Turkey has accused Syria of involvement in the attacks. Damascus has denied any role.

In a boost to the rebels, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Tuesday for legislation that would send arms to moderate members of the Syrian opposition, the first time U.S. lawmakers had approved such action. There is less enthusiasm for arming the rebels in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, so it is not clear whether a Senate bill would get through Congress.

Sunni rebel leaders have warned of sectarian revenge attacks against Shi’ites and Alawites on either side of the Syrian-Lebanese border if rebels lose Qusair.

Hezbollah’s involvement risks turning Syria’s civil war – which already pits mainly Sunni Muslim rebels against an Alawite-led army – into a regional sectarian conflict.

(Additional reporting by Erika Solomon in Beirut and by Khaled Oweiss in Amman; Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by Peter Graff, Alastair Macdonald and Peter Cooney)

Rebels called for reinforcements to combat President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, which have launched an offensive in recent days against a strategic town backed by Assad’s allies from Lebanon’s powerful Shi’ite militia Hezbollah.

The battle has brought the worst fighting in months, and by drawing in Hezbollah militia has raised new fears that a war that has killed 80,000 people could surge across borders and ignite sectarian conflict across the Middle East.

Washington and Moscow are scrambling to revive diplomacy, compelled to step up peace efforts by new reports of atrocities on both sides, suspicions that chemical weapons have been used and the rise of al Qaeda-linked fighters among Assad’s foes.

Kerry said several thousand Hezbollah fighters were taking part in the conflict, with active support on the ground from their – and Assad’s – main regional backer, Iran.

Forces loyal to Assad had made gains in recent days but those were “very temporary”, Kerry told a news conference in Amman before a meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group, made up of Western and regional countries lined up against Assad.

“Just last week, obviously, Hezbollah intervened very, very significantly. There are several thousands of Hezbollah militia forces on the ground in Syria who are contributing to this violence and we condemn that.”

Kerry is in Jordan for the “Friends of Syria” meeting seeking support from European and Arab states for the latest peace initiative – a call he issued jointly with Russia for a conference, expected in Geneva in coming weeks.

The United States and Europe have so far shied away from directly arming the rebels but have given them “non-lethal” support, while Arab backers like Qatar and Saudi Arabia send them weapons. Western countries have had to balance their opposition to Assad with their concern that arms for rebels would reach al Qaeda-allied Islamist fighters.

The U.S.-Russian proposal for a peace conference has raised suspicion among Arab countries that Washington is watering down support for Assad’s opponents, who had long refused to negotiate unless Assad is excluded from any future settlement.

Russia says talks must include Assad’s government and Iran. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the Syrian government’s response to the U.S.-Russian proposal, while saying the opposition was too divided to agree on its participation.

“INVASION”

Rebels fighting for control of Qusair, now the main battle front, called for reinforcements to repel forces loyal to Assad and what they described as an “invasion” by Hezbollah and Iran.

“Everyone who has weapons or ammunition should send them to Qusair and Homs to strengthen its resistance. Every bullet sent to Qusair and Homs will block the invasion that is trying to drag Syria back to the era of fear,” George Sabra, acting head of the opposition National Coalition, said in a statement.

Opposition fighters said air strikes and shelling rocked the small town on the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Assad’s forces are intent on seizing Qusair to cement their hold on a belt of territory that connects the capital Damascus to Assad’s stronghold on the Mediterranean coast, heartland of his minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam.

Seizing Qusair would also allow Assad to sever links between rebel-held areas in the north and south of Syria.

Some opposition sources privately said they believed that the army, led by Hezbollah ground units, has seized about 60 percent of the town. But they say rebels are fighting back hard in a battle that could determine the fate of the uprising.

“If we lose Qusair, we lose Homs, and if we lose Homs, we lose the heart of the country,” said Ahmed, a rebel speaking by Skype from the nearby town of Homs as explosions and gunfire crackled in the background.

After months of warnings from regional and international experts, violence is now spilling over Syria’s borders, with clashes between pro- and anti-Assad factions in the Lebanese city of Tripoli and exchanges of fire between Syrian and Israeli forces in the Golan Heights.

After a night of violence in Tripoli, the death toll in five days of fighting stood at 13, security sources said.

Alarmed by the prospect of a wider conflict, the United States and Russia have agreed to back the international talks intended to bring the rebels and Syrian government back to the table, although expectations of a breakthrough are low.

Security fears following bombings that killed 51 people in the Turkish town of Reyhanli earlier this month prompted Turkey on Wednesday to close a nearby border crossing with Syria. Turkey has accused Syria of involvement in the attacks. Damascus has denied any role.

In a boost to the rebels, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Tuesday for legislation that would send arms to moderate members of the Syrian opposition, the first time U.S. lawmakers have approved such military action in Syria.

There is less enthusiasm for arming the rebels in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, so it is not clear whether a Senate bill would ever get through Congress and reach Obama and be signed into law.

The outcome in Qusair will determine the status of important rebel supply routes across the Lebanese border into Syria and whether Assad can ensure access to important northern areas. It could also mean devastation for areas of nearby Lebanon.

REVENGE ATTACKS

Sunni rebel leaders have warned of sectarian revenge attacks against Shi’ites and Alawites on either side of the Syrian-Lebanese border if rebels lose Qusair. Fighters speak of a tacit agreement among their units to launch village by village attacks should they lose the town of 30,000.

Hezbollah’s involvement risks turning Syria’s civil war – which already pits mainly Sunni Muslim rebels against an Alawite-led army – into a more regional sectarian conflict.

Pro-Assad media have reported major advances for Hezbollah and state forces in Qusair. Rebels deny they have lost ground.

(Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by Peter Graff)

Kerry said recent military gains by Assad’s forces were only temporary and that if the Syrian leader believed that the counter-offensives against the rebels would be decisive, “then he is miscalculating”.

Kerry was speaking in Amman before a meeting of the Friends of Syria group of nations – mainly Western and Arab opponents of Assad – trying to pave the way for U.S.-Russian proposed peace conference to end Syria’s two-year conflict in which more than 80,000 people have been killed.

The conference aims to build on last year’s international accord in Geneva which set out plans for a transition of power in Syria, but broke down over disagreements about Assad’s role.

“In the event that we can’t find that way forward, in the event that the Assad regime is unwilling to negotiate Geneva 1 in good faith, we will also talk about our continued support and growing support for the opposition in order to permit them to continue to be able to fight for the freedom of their country,” Kerry told a news conference.

He said several thousand fighters from the Lebanese group Hezbollah were taking part in the Syrian conflict with active Iranian support on the ground.

“Just last week, obviously, Hezbollah intervened very, very significantly,” he said “There are several thousands of Hezbollah militia forces on the ground in Syria who are contributing to this violence and we condemn that.”

“…Active military support to the Assad regime simply exacerbates the sectarian tensions and it perpetuates … the regime’s campaign of terror against its own people.”

Activists say 30 Hezbollah fighters were killed on Sunday in heavy fighting for the town of Qusair where the Lebanese Shi’ite guerrilla group joined Syrian troops trying to evict rebel fighters, who include radical Islamists and foreign jihadis.

The fighting for Qusair, which straddles strategic supply routes important for both Assad and the rebels, is the latest assault by Assad’s forces seeking to consolidate control over territory linking the capital Damascus to his Alawite heartland overlooking the Mediterranean.

Although northern and eastern provinces remain beyond his grasp, the president has reasserted his military presence in the south and centre of the country, possibly seeking to send a delegation to peace talks from a position of greater strength.

Kerry said that without a serious negotiations, Syria faced even deeper bloodshed.

“Our understanding (is that) if Geneva 2 were not on the horizon, all we would be looking at is the continued tragic disintegration of the county that will go down further into more violence and more destruction,” he said.

“We believe that trying to get Geneva process – difficult as it, fraught with all the complications it represents – is a better alternative to the other.”

(Additional reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi; Editing by Dominic Evans and Michael Roddy)

Oman is expected to sign a letter of intent to purchase a ground-based air defence system that would help protect against cruise missile, drone or fighter aircraft attacks, a senior U.S. State Department official told reporters aboard Kerry’s plane.

Part of the sale has been previously disclosed. In October 2011, the U.S. Defense Department notified Congress of a proposed $1.25 billion sale of Avenger fire units, Stinger missiles, and Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missiles to Oman.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the $2.1 billion deal included these elements – which are being funded with the help of U.S. government financing – as well as other items that Oman is buying directly from the arms maker.

The official also said terms were still being negotiated and the value of the sale could change, adding it was unclear if Kerry would attend the signing expected on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Raytheon spokesman Jonathan Kasle had no immediate comment.

Raytheon Chief Executive Bill Swanson told an earnings call last month that the company was making “considerable progress” on a number of foreign arms sales, including a deal to sell a ground-based air defence system to Oman.

Raytheon generates more of its revenues overseas than any other large U.S. weapons maker. It has forecast a 20-percent increase in foreign bookings in 2013.

SYRIA, IRAN ALSO ON AGENDA

Oman sits opposite Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 40 percent of the world’s sea-borne oil passes, and is a U.S.-allied Gulf Arab State while also maintaining good relations with the Shi’ite-ruled Islamic Republic.

Kerry’s visit is the first stop on a week-long trip that will take him to Amman for talks on bringing Syria’s warring parties to a peace conference and to Jerusalem and Ramallah to discuss reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Both issues were expected to come up in Kerry’s talks with Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Arab world’s longest-serving ruler, on Tuesday, said the officials, who spoke to reporters as Kerry flew to Oman. Kerry headed straight from the airport to meet the sultan at his main residence, the vast Bait Al Baraka palace.

“It’s basically a chance to do a signals check with an important ally,” said a second senior State Department official. “Oman is not a key player on Syria but, as an important player in the Gulf, I think it will be good to hear the sultan’s views on the situation in the region writ large.”

More than 80,000 people are believed to have died in Syria’s civil war, which began with peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad more than two years ago as popular uprisings swept long-time authoritarian rulers from power in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

It has since become a civil war fought largely along sectarian lines between mainly Sunni opposition fighters who have Gulf Arab and some Western backing and government forces supported by Shi’ite Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Assad also benefits from diplomatic support and arms sales from Russia.

Kerry on Wednesday will meet in Jordan with senior officials from mostly Western and Arab states backing Syria’s opposition to discuss how to bring both sides to the negotiating table.

The United States and Russia announced two weeks ago that they would try to bring the two sides together – possibly in Geneva in June – for a peace conference that would choose a transitional government.

But there are a host of unanswered questions, including why Assad would send representatives to a conference which Western officials believe must eventually lead to his departure, and who will represent the opposition, which resists the idea of Assad having any role in governing Syria, even during a transition.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Oman is expected to sign a letter of intent to purchase a ground-based air defense system that would help protect against cruise missile or drone attacks, a senior U.S. State Department official told reporters aboard Kerry’s plane.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the terms were still being negotiated and the final value of the sale could change, adding that it was not clear whether Kerry would attend the signing expected on Tuesday or Wednesday. Raytheon spokesman Jonathan Kasle had no immediate comment.

Raytheon Chief Executive Bill Swanson told an earnings call last month that the company was making “considerable progress” on a number of foreign arms sales, including a deal to sell a ground-based air defense system to Oman.

Raytheon generates more of its revenues overseas than any other large U.S. weapons maker. It has forecast a 20-percent increase in foreign bookings in 2013.

Oman sits opposite Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 40 percent of the world’s sea-borne oil passes, and is a U.S.-allied Gulf Arab State while also maintaining good relations with the Shi’ite-ruled Islamic republic.

Kerry’s visit is the first stop on a week-long trip that will take him to Amman for talks on bringing Syria’s warring parties to a peace conference and to Jerusalem and Ramallah to discuss reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Both issues are expected to come up when Kerry meets Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Arab world’s longest-serving ruler, on Tuesday, said the officials, who spoke to reporters while Kerry flew to Ireland for refueling before heading to Oman.

“It’s basically a chance to do a signals check with an important ally,” said a second senior State Department official. “Oman is not a key player on Syria but, as an important player in the Gulf, I think it will be good to hear the sultan’s views on the situation in the region writ large.”

More than 80,000 people are believed to have died in Syria’s civil war, which began with peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule more than two years ago as popular uprisings swept long-time authoritarian rules from power in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

It has since become an all-out fight between opposition fighters who have Arab and some Western backing and government forces that are supported by Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah and that benefit from diplomatic support and arms sales from Russia.

Rebel and government forces engaged in their fiercest fighting this year in the rebel stronghold of Qusair, Syrian activists said, saying about 30 Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and 20 Syrian soldiers and militiamen loyal to Assad have been killed in the clashes.

The reported Hezbollah losses reflect the extent to which the Syrian conflict is turning into a proxy war between Shi’ite Iran and U.S.-aligned Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which back Assad’s mostly Sunni foes.

Kerry on Wednesday will meet in Amman with senior officials from mostly Western and Arab states that are backing the Syrian opposition to discuss how to bring both sides to the negotiating table.

The United States and Russia announced two weeks ago that they would try to bring the two sides together – possibly in June in Geneva – for a peace conference that would choose a transitional government.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Eric Beech, Bill Trott and Paul Simao)