The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, have stood out in recent years for successfully balancing their relationships with competing global powers in order to better position themselves for the emerging multipolar world. However, of them all, Oman has most leveraged its long-standing tradition of robust neutrality in a volatile region to make itself a uniquely valued partner for both global and regional powers. In particular, Washington’s continued reliance on Muscat as a vital backchannel for indirect talks with Tehran has become an enduring pillar of Oman’s regional foreign policy, one that has only become more central amid the escalating regional confrontation between Israel and Iran.
Former President Donald Trump’s return to the White House following his victory in the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 signals a potential return by Washington to the hardline approach toward Tehran that characterized his first term as president. However, Oman’s solid impartiality toward Iran would likely remain unshakeable even if U.S.-Iranian relations worsen and the regional landscape becomes even more volatile.
The small Gulf state’s neutrality was a hallmark of its foreign policy throughout the 50-year reign of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, and it has been maintained by Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq since he assumed the throne following Qaboos’ death in February 2020. Indeed, although Oman has traditionally been a vital defense partner for both the U.S. and the U.K., its pragmatic outlook on foreign policy has enabled it to maintain ties with Iran, as well as other countries that include some of Washington and London’s bitterest adversaries.