ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFJUNE 2, 2026 18:12The United States is pushing Oman to break its ties with Iran, according to a Monday report by The Wall Street Journal.The report cited American and Arab officials as saying that Washington increasingly sees Muscat's neutral stance toward the Islamic Republic as a threat, with the US demanding that Oman choose between them and the Iranians.Arab officials told the WSJ that Oman, which helped mediate two of the recent talks between the Americans and Iranians, is working on a response to the US, adding that it was surprised by the sudden issue.The WSJ reached out to the Omani Information Ministry, which refused to comment on the issue.“Oman stands ready to work with the United States and all responsible partners to promote stability, deter disruption, and safeguard our shared strategic interests,” Omani Information Minister Abdulla Al-Harrasi responded to the WSJ.The Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque glows at night on March 22, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. (credit: Elke Scholiers/Getty Images)According to Arab officials, Oman's back-channel communications with Tehran assisted in the reopening of flight corridors in the Gulf amid Iran's war with the US.“In a volatile region, responsible leadership means keeping channels of communication open and preventing tensions from escalating into conflict,” said Harrasi.Oman did not condemn Iran by name after port strikesWhen Iran began attacking ships in the strait during the war, Oman never directly condemned Tehran despite Iran's targeting of Omani ports with drones, according to the WSJ. One source added that this was standard Omani diplomatic tradition intended to end hostilities. The report noted that Iran directed far fewer attacks against Oman than against other neighboring countries, adding that Oman's Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi, told Omani media early in the war that the Gulf states should reconsider their security ties with the US.Despite the comments, Oman granted the US the use of a small amount of territory during the war for military logistics, the WSJ added.US officials told the WSJ that the Trump administration became distrustful of Oman after Albusaidi told American media in February that a nuclear agreement between the US and Iran was "within our reach" despite the administration's position that the Islamic regime had yet to make any serious concessions on the issue.Trump threatens to bomb OmanThe WSJ asked the White House for its position on Oman, which referenced US President Donald Trump's threat on Wednesday that he would bomb Oman if it joined Iran's planned tolling of the Strait of Hormuz, an accusation Muscat denies.Sanam Vakil of the UK think tank Chatham House told the WSJ that the threat “highlighted perceptions in some American circles that Oman is sympathetic to Iran.”The Omani approach "opened the door to criticism and unwelcome scrutiny of a country that has long prided itself on its impartial foreign policy," said Vakil.When Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed to his position in March, Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was the sole leader in the Gulf to offer his congratulations, the WSJ reported.Follow us on Google