The diplomatic breakthrough that brought Iran and the United States closer together last year after decades of enmity may never have happened without the mediation of a sparsely populated desert monarchy: Oman.
Strategically located at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, the sleepy sultanate has long served as a discrete backchannel between the Sunni Gulf states and their Iranian rival. The bitterly contested Iran nuclear deal, however, has elevated the country’s profile, encouraging it to play an increasingly active role in efforts to stop the violence in Yemen and Syria.
