"The superpower has lost control of its foreign policy." This declaration not only highlights deepening regional tensions but also expresses profound concern for global peace and stability.
Peace repeatedly within reach, only to be derailed
Twice in the past nine months, the United States and Iran came tantalizingly close to a genuine agreement on the most contentious issue dividing them: Iran’s nuclear-energy programme and America’s fears that it could mask a weapons effort.
Such a deal could have addressed U.S. security concerns, provided Iran relief from sanctions, and restored stability across the Middle East.
Oman, long respected as a neutral mediator, played a pivotal role in facilitating these indirect negotiations, with the Foreign Minister himself deeply involved in steering the talks forward.
The February 28 sabotage
Yet, on February 28, 2026—just hours after the most substantive and promising round of discussions in Geneva—Israel and the United States launched a joint, unlawful military strike.
The attack shattered the fragile momentum toward peace that had felt genuinely achievable.
Albusaidi described it as “a shock but not a surprise,” noting that it deliberately targeted the very possibility of diplomacy that was “really possible.”
Iran’s inevitable response
Iran retaliated by striking what it described as American targets on the territory of neighboring countries. → The Omani minister called this reaction “inevitable, deeply regrettable, and completely unacceptable.”
However, he acknowledged that, faced with declarations from Israel and America framing the conflict as a war to “terminate the Islamic Republic,” Tehran’s leadership likely saw no other rational course of action.
America’s greatest miscalculation
According to Albusaidi, the Trump administration’s fatal error was allowing itself to be drawn into this war at all.
“This is not America’s war, and there is no likely scenario in which both Israel and America will get what they want from it.”
Instead, the conflict harms core U.S. interests: regional instability is escalating, oil and gas prices are soaring, and the global economy faces mounting threats.
He bluntly states that America has “lost control of its own foreign policy”—an uncomfortable truth that must be confronted.
A call for allies to speak truth
America’s friends and partners bear a responsibility to help Washington escape this “unwanted entanglement.”
They must tell the plain truth: this war is immoral, unlawful, and must be stopped.
Silence only prolongs the catastrophe.
Oman’s enduring role as a bridge for dialogue
Oman has consistently symbolized balance, moderation, and quiet diplomacy in a turbulent region.
It has repeatedly served as a trusted channel between the U.S. and Iran.
Albusaidi emphasized that the recent talks were “active and serious,” with peace “within our reach.”
Military action destroyed that prospect, but the path to de-escalation still exists.
A roadmap back to negotiations
The article is not mere criticism—it offers a practical way forward.
America and Iran should set aside enmity and return to the negotiating table, however difficult that may be.
Both nations’ true national interests lie in ending hostilities: reducing nuclear risks, easing economic sanctions, and rebuilding regional calm.
Resumption of talks, even indirect and mediated, remains the only viable escape from endless war.
A global message: the time to speak out is now**
America’s allies—especially Gulf states and European partners—must break their silence.
They should openly declare that this conflict serves no one’s long-term benefit and that Washington is entangled in someone else’s agenda at the expense of its own independence.
Albusaidi’s piece is more than diplomatic prose: it is a warning, a plea, and a flicker of hope.
If the world fails to act, the war could widen, drawing in more nations.
But if honest voices prevail and mediation resumes, peace is still attainable. The international community must unite to halt this “unlawful war.” Countries like Oman, which prioritize dialogue over destruction, are leading by example. The question now rests with the rest of the world: will we choose peace, or allow the path of devastation to continue?
Sajjadali Nayani ✍
Friday World March 19, 2026
