Oman turned the closure of the Strait of Hormuz into a strategic commercial victory. Ports at Duqm, Salalah, and Sohar now absorb the cargo that once moved through the Iranian-blackmailed choke point, transforming the sultanate into the Gulf’s primary logistics alternative. This expansion outgrows simple economic diversification and offers Tehran a sophisticated, quiet pathway to blunt the pressure Washington just unleashed.

A $300 million upgrade boosted Salalah Port’s capacity to 6.5M TEUs, driving early 2026 revenues up 20% to $132 million. Sohar expanded handling capacity by 55%, feeding the Hafeet railway into Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Duqm secured more than $7.5 billion in fresh investment commitments for industrial, logistics, and energy projects. These three ports sit entirely outside both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, offering lower insurance costs and more reliable transit than inner-strait hubs can match.

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History supplies the overlooked parallel. Portuguese captains in the early 16th century imposed........

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