On July 18 — three days before US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hosted his Omani counterpart, Yusuf bin Alawi, in Washington — Sultan Qaboos became the latest Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) head of state to speak directly with US President Donald Trump.
In their conversation, Trump stressed the urgency of countering Iran’s ascendancy shortly after Washington implemented new sanctions on Iranian individuals and businesses despite the Trump administration's certifying Tehran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), at the same time maintaining that Iran has breached the JCPOA's “spirit.” This call also came one week after Alawi visited Tehran to discuss the ongoing Qatar crisis after he spoke by phone with Tillerson about Qatar and Yemen.
It is no secret that the Trump administration and Muscat have not been on the same page on a host of regional issues. The JCPOA, which Oman played a pivotal role in helping the Obama administration and Iran negotiate, was in Trump-the-candidate’s words "the worst deal ever" and he vowed to “rip up” the historic accord. In April, each GCC member, save Oman, strongly endorsed Trump’s decision to launch dozens of missiles at Syrian regime military infrastructure near Homs. On the Yemen front, the Saudi/United Arab Emirates-led military campaign, which the Trump administration has stepped up US support for, has irked Oman. Also, Trump’s urging of US allies throughout the Muslim world to help Washington counter Iran has not prevented Muscat and Tehran from continuing to maintain a close defense relationship as neighbors and co-owners of the Strait of Hormuz.
In the grander picture, Oman and the Trump administration's not seeing eye to eye on regional security issues has much to do with Muscat’s uniquely cooperative and normalized relationship with Tehran. While the Trump administration sees Iran as the Middle Eastern state most responsible for the outgrowth of terrorism and regional instability, Muscat views Iran as an important strategic partner across a diverse host of sectors. Furthermore, ongoing developments within the GCC in light of the Qatar crisis are prompting some smaller member states, including Oman, to constantly assess the strategic depth from Saudi Arabia that Iran offers them.
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