Omani mediator 'dismayed' by US-Israel strikes, urges Washington to pull back

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi issued a strongly worded rebuke Saturday following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, expressing dismay that active negotiations mediated by his country had been effectively sabotaged by military action. "I am dismayed. Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined," Albusaidi wrote on the social media platform X, reflecting the frustration of a key diplomatic player whose efforts were overtaken by events. His statement carries exceptional weight given Oman's longstanding role as the primary channel for US-Iranian dialogue.

Direct appeal to Washington

Albusaidi's message included an unusually direct appeal to American policymakers, urging them to resist further military entanglement in the region. "Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war," he stated, effectively challenging the Trump administration's framing of the operation as necessary for American security. The Omani minister added a humanitarian dimension to his criticism, writing, "I pray for the innocents who will suffer," highlighting civilian populations caught in the expanding conflict.

Diplomatic whiplash

The strikes came just hours after Albusaidi met with US Vice President JD Vance on Friday, following the most recent round of nuclear talks in Geneva. The Omani mediator had expressed cautious optimism after that meeting, posting that "peace is within our reach." Saturday's military escalation represents a dramatic reversal of that diplomatic trajectory, raising questions about the coherence of US policy toward Iran. Oman has invested significant diplomatic capital in facilitating dialogue between Washington and Tehran, only to see negotiations collapse into open warfare.

Regional mediation undermined

The strikes effectively neutralize Oman's mediation role for the foreseeable future, as trust between the parties has been severely damaged. Albusaidi's public criticism signals frustration not only with the military action itself but with the disregard shown for the painstaking diplomatic work conducted under Omani auspices. The development represents a setback for Gulf diplomacy and raises concerns among regional powers including Türkiye about the reliability of US commitments to negotiated solutions. With the June 2026 strikes following last year's US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict, Washington's pattern of combining diplomacy with military action has created deep skepticism about its true intentions among regional actors.