According to
a Reuters report, the United States secured a strategic port deal with Oman that
will allow the US military better access to the Gulf region and reduce the need
to send ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime choke point off Iran. The
U.S. embassy in Oman said in a statement that the agreement governed U.S.
access to facilities and ports in Duqm as well as in Salalah and reaffirms the commitment
of both the countries to promoting mutual security goals.
The accord
is viewed through an economic prism by Oman, which wants to develop Duqm while
preserving its Switzerland-like neutral role in Middle Eastern politics and
diplomacy. As the US concerns grow about Iran’s expanding missile programs that
has improved in recent years, despite sanctions and diplomatic pressure by the
US.
The deal was
significant by improving access to ports that connect to a network of roads to
the broader region, giving the US military great resiliency in a crisis. The US
used to operate on the assumption that it could just steam into the Gulf.
However the quality and quantity of Iranian weapons raises concerns.
According to
the report, Tehran has in the past threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a
major oil shipping route at the mouth of the Gulf. These threats were in retaliation
for any hostile US action, including attempts to halt Iranian oil exports
through sanctions. Still, the agreement is expected to expand US military
options in the region in case of any eventuality.
Duqm is
ideal port for large ships. It is big enough to turn around an aircraft carrier.
The port itself is very important and the geostrategic location is very
attractive, being outside the Strait of Hormuz.
For Oman,
the deal will further advance its efforts to transform Duqm, once just a fishing
village 550 km south of Muscat capital, into a key Middle East industrial and
port center, as its diversifies its economy beyond oil and gas exports. The
deal will also strengthen US position in the region.
