Oman halts cooperation with US on oil tanker escorting through Strait of Hormuz

Oman has stopped cooperating with the United States on escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a rupture in one of the longest-standing security partnerships in the Persian Gulf. The move effectively leaves Washington without its most reliable regional partner in protecting the narrow waterway that handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade. What’s behind the split The breakdown didn’t happen overnight. It’s the product of a slow-burning realignment that accelerated after the US-Iran conflict and a ceasefire reached on April 8, 2026. In the months since, Oman has pursued independent arrangements with Iran to establish safe passage corridors for commercial vessels. The two countries issued a joint statement in June 2026 affirming sovereignty over their respective territorial waters in the strait. The US has scaled back its direct naval escort operations in the region. Formal escort missions have been paused since May 2026, though the military has maintained some protective operations on Oman’s southern routes, including drone intercepts and air cover. Oman’s Foreign Minister has stated that the Sultanate supports fee-free maritime navigation, ...