Special to WorldTribune, August 21, 2026 Real World News
Geostrategy-Direct, August 18, 2026
There are two sides of the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran is only one of them.
Because it is on the southern side, Oman has to deal with the Iranians as it can’t escape the Middle East.
Oman has had amicable relations with Iran in the past. It didn’t have a conflict. There were no terrorist threats or extremism.
Therefore, it rarely made the news. It was a friend of the West and a neutral country in the region
Now President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb the sultanate if it “gets in the way” of U.S. policy regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman has not seemed affected, having held to its unique and pragmatic foreign policy.
Since Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said came to power in 1970 with British support, Muscat has maintained close security ties with the United Kingdom and the U.S. Oman developed a reputation as the region’s quiet mediator, facilitating negotiations that others could not.
For example, it played a key role in U.S.-Iran talks that paved the way for Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear agreement, noted Seth Franzman in an analysis for the Jerusalem Post.
Although Oman has not joined the Abraham Accords, it has consistently argued that dialogue with Israel can contribute to regional stability, while continuing to support a two-state solution.
The goal of President Trump’s threats is to put Oman on notice that it shouldn’t do any backroom deals with Iran.
Iran wants Oman to basically charge fees for ships using the Strait of Hormuz.
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U.S. presses once-neutral Oman on Strait of Hormuz not to make secret deals with Iran added by Editor Two on
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