Oman FM Warns: World is Sliding Back to “Gunboat Diplomacy”

By Staff, Agencies

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has warned that declining respect for international law and the growing sidelining of diplomacy are pushing global politics toward an era when major powers acted with impunity—only now with weapons of mass destruction at their disposal.

Writing in the Financial Times, Albusaidi said these trends help explain why years of mediation, summits and diplomatic initiatives have yielded only “a few provisional agreements” rather than lasting solutions in Palestine, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon, “Israel” and Ukraine.

He cited the consolidation of occupations, the use of assassination and abduction as state tools, attacks on civilians, and open disregard for the United Nations, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

Albusaidi argued that when leaders bypass diplomats, they eventually fall back on “gunboat diplomacy” or its modern equivalent: using economic power to pressure entire populations into submission while pursuing regime change and compliant governments.

Although he did not name specific governments, his warning echoes US-“Israeli” policies, including military aggression against Iran alongside sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran, as well as continued “Israeli” attacks on Gaza and South Lebanon despite ceasefire agreements and international law.

For smaller states, Albusaidi said, the answer is to persistently uphold international law, which he described as essential to protecting most of the world’s population from unrestrained power. Diplomats, he added, must remain at the negotiating table even when talks appear to have exhausted their options.

He cited Oman’s efforts to broker an agreement restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as an example, saying Muscat remains committed despite the lack of a resolution and the constant threat of war.

The talks are unfolding amid the US-“Israeli” war on Iran, during which Tehran took control of the strait in response to the aggression, disrupting US military resupply routes through the Gulf and contributing to higher global energy prices.

Albusaidi said Oman’s approach seeks to protect its territorial waters, shield vulnerable states from the consequences of prolonged closure, and reinforce international law. He described this policy as “constructive neutrality”—not merely facilitating dialogue, but actively strengthening the international legal order.