Oman has a very unique foreign policy. The small sultanate, which sits on the south side of the Strait of Hormuz, has historically positioned itself as a place where enemies can discreetly hash out their differences. Secret meetings in Muscat between the Obama administration and Iran eventually led to the 2015 nuclear deal, and since then Oman has frequently served as a venue for U.S.-Iran talks, including just before the current war. Oman is also a frequent interlocutor in prisoner exchanges and generally maintains cordial relations with countries across the region and beyond.
However, the U.S.-Iran war has thrust Oman into an uncomfortable position — transforming it from a country that hosts peace talks into one caught up in a conflict it sought to help avoid. Oman’s geographic position on the opposite side of Hormuz from Iran has made it a player in this conflict, whether it wants to be one or not.
Case in point: On Tuesday, Oman and Iran jointly announced the outline of a plan to manage shipping traffic through the Strait — one that may include “fees” for ships passing through. Hours after Oman and Iran announced this new memorandum for managing the Strait of Hormuz, I caught up with Tyler Parker, a professor at Mercer University who specializes in the foreign policies of the Gulf countries and has written extensively about Oman’s foreign policy. He explains what we know about the agreement between Iran and Oman, why Oman is suddenly in Trump’s crosshairs — and whether Oman can show both sides the off-ramp that is so desperately needed in this conflict. You will learn a lot about a country that is suddenly, and uncomfortably, thrust into a spotlight it would rather have avoided.
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