June 2, 2025: Oman, a large nation of about 5.5 million people strategically located on the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, with coasts on both the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, has been a very strong ally of the U.S. for decades, and a committed partner in the war on Islamist extremism; American forces have operated out of Oman in support of military and naval operations the region since 2001, and Omani special forces are believed to have engaged in combat missions in Afghanistan. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq ruled Oman since 2020, as both sovereign and prime minister.

The usual tranquility was shattered in July last year when three Omani men carried out the attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque while 500 people were assembled in the courtyard of the Mosque. When the shooting began most of these worshipers were able to escape into the Mosque. Six people were killed including a policeman, four Pakistanis and an Indian. There were 30 wounded, including first responder medical personnel. The local police saved a lot of lives by firing back in the direction of the terrorist gunfire. The gunbattle went on all night and by morning all the attackers had been killed. The attack was deliberately carried out on Ashura, a Shia religious day of mourning.

Three days later Islamic terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a short video revealing that three attackers were three brothers from Oman with ties to the Islamic State in Yemen Province/ISYP. Yemen borders Oman. They claimed the attack was carried out by fundamentalist Sunni Moslems who were determined to eradicate all Shia Moslems. This rivalry between the 80 percent Sunni majority and the ten percent Shia minority has been going on for centuries. Those behind the July attack said they did it to strike back at Israeli oppression of the Palestinians and to frighten allies of Israel. No one was scared but it was noted that small groups of Islamic terrorists continue to account for most of the terrorist deaths in the world.

Another local problem that cannot be ignored is the centuries of animosity between the Gulf Arab states and Iran and other hostile outsiders. This was especially true for the emirates, a collection of small coastal principalities that depended on trade to survive. The solution has always been to seek unity and outside allies. In the 19th century, the coastal emirates, city states that depended on trade, pearls, and fishing, allied themselves with Britain, for protection. The threats included the Turks who controlled what is now Iraq, Iran, which is always a threat to the Arabs, and the interior tribes of Arabia.

Two centuries ago Britain was interested in suppressing pirates. that often operated out of the emirates, and halting Turkish expansion. In 1971, seven of the emirates formed a federation: the United Arab Emirates or UAE. There were immediate disputes with Saudi Arabia about where the land and water borders should be. Some of those disputes are still unresolved. The Saudis consider themselves the leader of Arabia, but most of the people in Yemen, Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE often disagree. There is lots of friction. Nevertheless, in 1981, the Gulf Cooperation Council was formed by Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE was the chief organizer of the council and has constantly quarreled with Saudi Arabia over leadership issues. But when it comes to outside threats, especially the Iranians, there is less quarrelling and a lot more cooperation. It's uncertain if this will be enough to thwart the Iranians. Only an actual war will reveal the reality of the situation.