Positioned on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen, and facing Iran across the Strait of Hormuz, Oman has long cultivated a reputation as "the Switzerland of the Middle East."

As a widening war threatens to upend long‑standing balances in the Gulf, DW looks at the historical and cultural ties between Oman and Iran, and how Oman's neutrality has come under pressure over the past decades.

Note: Since we made this report, the IRGC has said that it will not be closing the Strait of Hormuz.