Less than a month after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman amid the war with Iran, his administration on Tuesday indicated a rapprochement with Muscat.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi and acknowledged Muscat's "important role in de-escalation in the region" and condemned recent Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Rubio "expressed support for deepening ties between Oman and the United States", State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
The conversation marks an about-face in US public diplomacy towards Oman. Mr Trump, angered by Muscat's negotiations with Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, has twice threatened to bomb Oman as it worked towards a deal with Iran.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb," Mr Trump said on August 17. He made a similar threat during a cabinet meeting in May.
During Tuesday's call, Mr Rubio repeated the US commitment to ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon and to freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman has spent decades cultivating a reputation as one of the Middle East’s most reliable diplomatic go-betweens, maintaining a long-standing strategic partnership with the US while preserving close ties with Iran.
