Long considered an indispensable intermediary between Washington and Tehran, the sultanate sees its role weakened by an increasingly polarized region.
"Oman will behave like everyone else, otherwise we will have to blow them up," said U.S. President Donald Trump. This threat was striking. For decades, Oman has stood as one of the region’s most discreet and trusted mediators, far from the image of a state that could be publicly reprimanded by Trump.Muscat has long maintained close ties with powers often at odds, including Washington and Tehran, without ever fully aligning with either side. But that role now faces its most serious test, as the confrontation over the future of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts the balance that has allowed Oman to thrive diplomatically until now.From trusted mediator to a source of suspicionFor much of the past half-century, Oman’s special relationship with Iran has been seen by its Western partners as an asset rather than a liability. The sultanate...
"Oman will behave like everyone else, otherwise we will have to blow them up," said U.S. President Donald Trump. This threat was striking. For decades, Oman has stood as one of the region’s most discreet and trusted mediators, far from the image of a state that could be publicly reprimanded by Trump.Muscat has long maintained close ties with powers often at odds, including Washington and Tehran, without ever fully aligning with either side. But that role now faces its most serious test, as the confrontation over the future of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts the balance that has allowed Oman to thrive diplomatically until now.From trusted mediator to a source of suspicionFor much of the past half-century, Oman’s special relationship with Iran has been seen by its Western partners as an asset rather than a liability. The...
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