Iran attacks test Oman's neutral stance, analysts say

Analysts said increased Iranian attacks around Oman are testing Muscat's long-held policy of neutrality and pushing the sultanate toward a firmer tone.

Oman has historically acted as a mediator between Tehran and its opponents and shares control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran. The source said Muscat is trying to preserve relations with Iran while avoiding angering Washington, which has accused Oman of being too close to Tehran.

In recent weeks, Iran has hit tankers using a route close to the Omani coast to pass through the strait, in what the source described as an attempt to force vessels into Iranian waters and make them pay for safe passage. The source also said Iran had struck targets on Omani territory, prompting Muscat to summon Iran's ambassador, an unusual step for a country that has maintained ties with Tehran during the war despite bombings.

Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, said the war had placed Oman in an impossible position. She said Iran's new leadership was alienating what she described as its last relatively friendly partner in the Gulf and was trying to assert full control over the Strait of Hormuz, including in Omani territorial waters. She said Oman would not accept that.

On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei named Oman, Qatar and Pakistan as mediators with which Tehran hoped to work to prevent escalation in the conflict. The source said Qatar and Pakistan are now viewed as the key interlocutors in negotiations, rather than Oman.

Omani researcher Abdullah Baabood said the summoning of Iran's ambassador showed that Oman's neutrality did not mean silence on national security threats. He said Oman distinguished between maintaining diplomatic relations and accepting violations of its sovereignty.

During the war, Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to pass. Under a memorandum of understanding with the United States, Iran must work with Oman on the waterway's future administration and has said the arrangement will never be the same.

In June, Oman and Iran said they would discuss imposing service fees, a move opposed by Washington. Muscat now says ships could pass through Hormuz via Omani waters. The source said this angered Tehran, which then escalated. It said Tehran began hitting ships on the route, prompting US attacks on Iran, followed by Iranian strikes in the Gulf.

On Tuesday, crisis response company MTI Network said a Norwegian tanker was hit by an explosion caused by an unidentified device off the Omani coast. The blast caused a fire in the engine room, but an MTI Network spokesman said all crew members were safe and accounted for.

Separately, the United Arab Emirates defence ministry said two tankers transiting Hormuz through Omani waters were hit by Iranian cruise missiles, killing at least one person.

The UAE and Bahrain have directly accused Iran of attacks on shipping in the strait. Oman has not made such an accusation.

Baabood said Oman wanted stable relations with Tehran because of geography and shared interests, but could not ignore aggression that infringed on its sovereignty. He said continued attacks would probably bring harder Omani diplomatic language, stronger defence and security coordination with partners, and closer alignment with other Gulf states.