Trump’s Oman Snub: Is the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East’ Losing Its Diplomatic Edge? | Today’s news

When US President Donald Trump announced the Iran deal, he singled out several countries that supported the deal, including most of the Gulf states – but notably left out Oman, a country that had previously played a key brokering role, AFP reported.

The tiny Persian Gulf state, which shares the strategically important Strait of Hormuz with Iran, has served as a vital conduit for US-Iranian diplomacy for more than a decade. Oman also helped pave the way for the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump later withdrew from eight years ago.

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Now Oman – nicknamed the “Switzerland of the Middle East” in a nod to its neutrality – has been threatened by Trump and sidelined as a broker for the deal signed this week as Washington accused Muscat of being too close to Iran.

“Oman’s model has always been one of triangulation, where they keep channels open to Tehran, Washington and the Gulf at the same time,” said analyst HA Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute.

“What has shifted is Washington’s tolerance for a partner that won’t cut the Iran channel, and has engaged in diplomacy in a publicly aggressive way that matches Washington’s position.”

The move comes even as other Gulf states, unconvinced by the US security umbrella, have cut ties with Iran, despite Oman’s rise as a regional logistics hub that skirts the strait.

History of mediation

Oman has long maintained a unique diplomatic position in the region. It became the first Gulf country to host an Israeli leader in 1994, while also hosting talks between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government, AFP reported.

Muscat also played a key behind-the-scenes role in facilitating the US-Iran negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal, and went on to broker several rounds of talks during Donald Trump’s second term. But that diplomatic effort has been suspended twice — in June and February after strikes on Iran sparked the latest conflict.

The strikingly neutral tone came at a cost to Oman as the United States demanded unwavering support from its Gulf allies under pressure from Iranian strikes.

At the height of the war, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq congratulated Ayatollah Mojtab Khamenei on his appointment as Supreme Leader.

The sultanate has also avoided naming Iran while condemning strikes on its territory and the region, with top diplomat Badr Albusaidi urging Washington to stop attacking Iran, insisting “this is not your war”.

“Employees of Iran”

In the weeks that followed, Pakistan, backed by Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, took the lead in negotiations weeks after the war began. Qatar is also playing an increasingly important role.

Last month, Trump threatened to “blow them up” if Oman tried to control the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned he would impose sanctions on Muscat if it helped implement a toll system on the waterway, AFP reported.

He later said he was assured by the Omani ambassador that “there are no plans for tolls”.

And as part of the deal, Oman and Iran, along with other Gulf states, will define “future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz” in accordance with international law.

But Washington has made it clear that Oman is not its preferred intermediary.

As AFP reported, a senior Trump administration official told reporters in a phone call on Monday that Washington had “kicked them out” of the process because “we feel they are very duplicitous, almost like employees of the Iranians.”

“I don’t think Oman has ‘leaned in’ to either country,” said Alan Eyre, a former US diplomat who was part of the team negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal.

He said Muscat had not fallen out of favor with Washington despite the reprimands.

“The current US administration is essentially transactional: if it can benefit Oman, it will work with Oman,” he said.

“Procurement Hastened by War”

Although Oman’s policy of neutrality may have been criticized by the United States, it also appears to have helped protect the sultanate from frequent attacks by neighboring countries.

During the conflict, Oman was the least affected country in the Persian Gulf and faced only occasional strikes. At the same time, its airport served as a transit point for people fleeing violence while other countries in the region endured repeated and sometimes deadly attacks.

While Muscat’s cautious stance was in sharp contrast to its Gulf neighbours, who have criticized Iran for its attacks, many have since engaged in dialogue with Tehran.

Much of Oman’s coastline lies outside the Persian Gulf, and the ports of Sohar and Duqm are turning into strategic hubs as exporters seek alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.

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“The war accelerated the existing safeguards,” Hellyer said of re-establishing the Gulf’s connection with Iran while managing their US ties.

“The Gulf states are moving closer to Oman’s position as the incentive, which is an unreliable American guarantee, now applies widely.”

Much of Oman’s coastline lies outside the Persian Gulf region, making its ports of Sohar and Duqm increasingly strategic locations as exporters seek alternative routes to avoid relying on the Strait of Hormuz.

(With input from agencies)