He was long the undisputed mediator in the negotiations between Iran and the US before falling into disfavor. Oman's sultanate was abruptly removed from Trump from the last negotiations, with Washington criticizing his overly large proximity to Tehran.

Called "the Switzerland of the Middle East" due to its neutrality, the quiet Gulf country, which shares the Straits of Hormuz with Iran, had mainly supported the 2015 Iranian nuclear programme agreement from which Trump left three years later.

However, when the American president announced that he reached an agreement with the Islamic Republic to end the Middle East war, he remembered about six countries involved in the talks of which the Gulf monarchies, without mentioning the sultanate.

"Oman's model is always based on triangulation, consisting in the simultaneous maintenance of open channels of communication with Tehran, Washington and Gulf countries," states Hisam Helger, an analyst at London's Royal United Services Institute.

"What changed, continues, is the tolerance" of the American government towards a interlocutors who reserved Iran to name Iran when condemning the blows to his territory and the region, at the same time denouncing "illegal" American bombings in Iran.

Past Proxy
Oman cultivates a neutrality policy, which allowed him to take on the role of mediator in various conflicts and differences over the years.

It was thus the first Gulf country to welcome an Israeli leader in 1994. The sultanate also organised talks on its territory between the Huthi, Yemenite rebels supported by Iran, and Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government.

And after his role in the 2015 Iran nuclear programme agreement, he played a role as mediator in various negotiations cycles with Iran under Trump's current term.

A mission that has been tried hard, as these negotiations were interrupted each time by American blows to the Islamic Republic, in June 2025 and late last February.

Oman's foreign minister had then called on the US to stop their blows, judging that Tehran had no other "reasonable choice" than to answer, in an article published in March in The Economist magazine.

Then, amid war, Oman Haytham bin Tarik's sultan congratulated his appointment to the post of supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, following the death of Ali Khamenei's father during the Israeli-American attack.

In the aftermath, Pakistan -- supported by Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia -- was what led the negotiations, with Qatar also playing an increasingly important role.

‘Officials of Iranians’
At the beginning of the week, a high-ranking Trump administration official explained to reporters that Washington had "removed" the Omans from the process as "we had the feeling that they showed great duplicity, almost as if they were Iranian employees.".

Last month, Trump had threatened to surprise everyone to crush Oman's sultanate, if this were to take control of the Straits of Hormuz, along with Iran.

And American Finance Minister Scott Bessend had reported the possibility of sanctions against Muscat in the event of a toll system with Tehran for crossing the seaway. He later clarified that Oman's ambassador had denied such intentions.

Under the Iranian-American agreement which has just been signed, Oman and Iran will determine, in consultation with the other Gulf states, "the future administration and maritime services within the Straits", in accordance with international law.

Saved from Tehran
"I don't think Oman took a stand in favour of one of the two sides," believes Alan Eyre, an American former diplomat who participated in negotiations on the 2015 Iranian nuclear programme deal.

And in his opinion, Muscat has not completely lost Washington's favor, which will maintain relations with Oman if the sultanate "may be useful to him.".

Although the sultanate’s attitude may have provoked the wrath of the United States, it may have protected it from Iranian retaliation blows.

Oman was the Gulf country that was less affected during the war, as attacks on it were rare. His airport even became a lifeline for those who tried to escape the conflict, as most airports in the Gulf regularly received blows.

Much of the sultanate coastline can also be used to avoid the Straits of Ormuz. The ports of Sohar and Dukm are considered strategic locations while Gulf countries seek alternatives.