When former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action against Oman over its refusal to side with Washington’s war on Iran, few could have predicted that this small Gulf sultanate would emerge as the primary beneficiary of the new regional order being negotiated between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic. This surprising turn of events, which may seem counterintuitive at first glance, is reshaping regional power dynamics, with Western, Arab, and even U.S. diplomatic sources acknowledging that Oman stands to gain the most from the shifting landscape.