Relationship dossier
Oman
United States
Relationship assessment
A sustained partnership spanning defense cooperation, trade, and Oman's regional mediation
Oman toward United States
+60Oman has maintained defense cooperation arrangements with the United States and facilitated U.S.-Iran contacts, including a 2023 prisoner exchange. These actions reflect practical cooperation while Oman continues to pursue an independent regional diplomatic role.
United States toward Oman
+60The United States has maintained defense cooperation arrangements with Oman and concluded a free trade agreement that entered into force in 2009. U.S. security and economic engagement with Oman has supported a durable bilateral partnership.
Overall relationship
+60The relationship rests on sustained defense cooperation and a formal trade framework, alongside Oman's occasional role as a diplomatic intermediary for U.S. contacts with Iran. Oman's separate regional relationships do not erase these substantial bilateral cooperative arrangements.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Oman and the United States maintain a sustained security and economic partnership. Defense cooperation arrangements, the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement, and Oman's role in facilitating U.S.-Iran contacts illustrate cooperation across several areas. The relationship also reflects Oman's independent regional diplomacy, including its engagement with Iran.
Key developments
The United States and Oman concluded a bilateral defense cooperation agreement establishing a framework for U.S. access to Omani facilities.
The U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement entered into force.
Oman facilitated a U.S.-Iran prisoner exchange.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral defense cooperation are unclear.
- The scale of ongoing economic and security cooperation is uncertain.