Cairo, (EFE).- Oman will once again play host on Friday to the negotiations between Iran and the United States. The Sultanate is regarded as a credible, discreet, and neutral mediator by the Islamic Republic, which seeks to restrict the dialogue to its nuclear program rather than expanding the agenda to include its missile arsenal.
The choice of venue became a point of contention between Washington and Tehran. According to US media reports, Iran requested to move the meeting (originally slated for Istanbul with other regional stakeholders) to Muscat, insisting on a format involving only American and Iranian representatives.
Oman remains one of the most trusted allies for both the Arab world (including Iran) and the West. By maintaining a steadfastly equidistant posture through successive political shifts in Washington and Tehran, Muscat offers the Islamic Republic a guarantee that the agreed-upon agenda will remain unchanged.
A Familiar and Comfortable Setting
Unlike its Arab neighbors, Oman has cultivated a long-standing rapport with Iran. This reflects the legacy of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said (1940–2020), who sought to transform his nation into a hub of dialogue and neutrality, insulated from the conflicts that have historically fractured the Middle East.
This commitment to neutrality was evident during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), when Oman refused to take sides and even hosted secret truce talks between Baghdad and Tehran. Those diplomatic efforts were spearheaded by Oman’s then-Deputy Foreign Minister, Haitham bin Tariq, who ended up succeeding Qaboos as Sultan.
Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, argued in a recent article that shifting these latest nuclear talks from Turkey to Oman reflects Iran’s strategy to “keep the agenda narrowly focused” and “prevent the entry of regional and military files into the talks.”
The Sultanate has solidified its reputation for impartiality. Despite being a US ally, it does not act as a proxy for Washington’s interests. Notably, it does not even host permanent US Central Command (CENTCOM) bases, despite its strategic location on the Persian Gulf.
Furthermore, Azizi notes that mediation is not a political lever for Oman. Unlike other regional powers that mediate to gain prestige, influence, or future favors, Muscat views its role as a fundamental diplomatic service.
A Discreet Mediator with a Proven Track Record
Muscat previously served as the bridge between American and Iranian officials to lay the groundwork for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This 2015 landmark deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear progress was reached between Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany and the European Union.
As early as 2009, Oman’s then-Foreign Minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, proposed to the Barack Obama administration that the Sultanate could facilitate a meeting between the two powers, offering to host encounters either publicly or behind closed doors.
The most recent negotiations hosted by Oman took place in April 2025. The talks continued through several rounds until they collapsed following Israeli airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June, attacks which the US joined and the Islamic Republic vehemently condemned.
With the stakes at an all-time high, tensions have reached a breaking point following threats from US President Donald Trump. This rhetoric was underscored by the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (including three guided-missile destroyers) near Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf.
Trump reiterated his warnings last night, telling NBC in an interview that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “should be very worried.”
The United States maintains that the scope of the talks must expand beyond the nuclear program to include limits on ballistic missiles and Tehran’s support for regional groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Based on its historical record, these are pressures that Oman is unlikely to exert on Iran. EFEcgs/dmv/mcd
