Trump's Oman Snub: Is the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East’ losing its diplomatic edge?
When U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal with Iran, he highlighted several countries that had backed the agreement, including most Gulf nations — but
When U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal with Iran, he highlighted several countries that had backed the agreement, including most Gulf nations — but notably left out Oman, the country that had previously played a key mediating role, AFP reported. The low-profile Gulf state, which shares the strategically important Strait of Hormuz with Iran, had served for more than a decade as a crucial channel for U.S.-Iran diplomacy. Oman also helped pave the way for the 2015 nuclear agreement, which Trump later withdrew from eight years ago. Now, Oman -- dubbed the "Switzerland of the Middle East" in a nod to its neutrality -- has been threatened by Trump and sidelined as a mediator for the deal signed this week as Washington accuses Muscat of being too close to Iran. "Oman's model has always been triangulation, where they keep open channels to Tehran, Washington, and the Gulf simultaneously," said analyst H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute. "What shifted is Washington's tolerance for an interlocutor who won't sever the Iran channel, and engaged in diplomacy in a publicly aggressive fashion that matched Washington's posture." The move comes even as other Gulf states, unconvinced by the US security umbrella, have engaged with Iran, and despite Oman's rise as a regional logistics hub bypassing the strait.
A history of mediation Oman has long maintained a unique diplomatic position in the region. It became the first Gulf country to receive an Israeli leader in 1994, while also hosting discussions between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, AFP reported. Muscat also played a key behind-the-scenes role in facilitating U.S.-Iran negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear agreement and continued to mediate several rounds of talks during Donald Trump’s second term. However, those diplomatic efforts were disrupted twice — in June and February, after strikes on Iran triggered the latest conflict. Striking a neutral tone came at a cost for Oman as the United States demanded unwavering support from its Gulf allies, pummelled by Iranian strikes. At the height of the war, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq congratulated Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as supreme leader. The Sultanate has also shied away from naming Iran when condemning strikes on its territory and the region, with top diplomat Badr Albusaidi urging Washington to stop attacking Iran, insisting that "this is not your war". ‘Employees of Iran’ In the following weeks, Pakistan, backed by Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, took the lead on negotiations weeks into the war. Qatar has also played an increasingly important role.
The BriefWire