As French President Emmanuel Macron meets with the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq in search of MIddle East deescalation, François Picard is pleased to welcome Dawud Al Ansari, Geopolitics and energy analyst. As diplomacy in the Gulf is being tested by renewed military tensions, Al Ansari offers a nuanced assessment with an Omani perspective. He says Oman is playing an increasingly valuable strategic role. Rather than portraying this small but influential Gulf nation as simply another GCC monarchy, Ansari argues that the Sultanate has deliberately cultivated influence through neutrality, mediation and pragmatic diplomacy. While regional security remains fragile despite recent agreements, he says that Oman will continue to prioritise stability, free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and dialogue between adversaries.
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