'From outlier to trailblazer': How Oman offers a glimpse into the post-war Gulf Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 06/16/2026 - 13:11 Despite Trump's threats, Oman has reaped financial gains from the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Muscat's neighbours racing to catch up Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, right, receives Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, left, during a reception at al-Alam Royal Palace in Muscat, Oman, on 27 May 2025 (Iranian presidential office/AFP) Off US President Donald Trump threatened to attack just one Arab Gulf country during the war on Iran : Oman. Now, it is emerging as the biggest winner from a new Middle East order being hashed out by the US and the Islamic Republic. That assessment may seem counterintuitive at first glance, but due to its geography, business acumen, and Tehran’s newly demonstrated heft in the region, western, Arab, and even some US diplomats see the new order unfurling with Oman on top. Oman’s rapid turn of fortune also underscores a bigger shift in the Middle East, some analysts say.