Oman’s exports to Iran surge amid trade restrictions
Oman’s direct exports to Iran more than tripled and re-exports nearly doubled in the first half of 2026, according to Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information, as Tehran pivots trade flows toward alternative regional hubs amid mounting restrictions on its southern maritime access.
According to Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information, total trade between Oman and Iran reached $832 million in the January-to-June period, a 17% increase compared with the same stretch in 2025, Eqtesad-e Moaser reported.
Direct Omani exports to Iran amounted to $13 million in the first half of the year, placing Iran 64th among destinations for Omani-made goods. That figure represented a 225% rise from a year earlier.
At the same time, Omani re-exports to Iran surged 96% to $666 million, up from $338 million in the first half of 2025. Iran, which in recent years had ranked as Oman’s second-largest re-export destination after the United Arab Emirates, moved into first place during the period. By contrast, Oman’s re-exports to the UAE fell 36% to $580 million.
The sharp uptick in Omani trade with Iran comes as US naval restrictions continue to affect Iran’s southern ports. Washington imposed the blockade as part of a pressure campaign following a 40-day US-Israeli conflict that began in late February. The naval siege has constrained Tehran’s trade options.
In response, Iran has been working to diversify its logistics corridors, redirecting cargo flows toward northern ports as well as to hubs in Pakistan, India, and Oman.
Against that backdrop, Iranian exports to Oman dropped 58% in the first half of 2026 to $153 million, down from $365 million in the same period a year earlier, as hostilities and disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz weighed on regional shipping.
Despite that decline in Iranian outbound trade to Oman, the notable rise in Oman’s direct and re-export shipments to Iran underscores the Sultanate’s growing role as a transit and intermediary hub for goods destined for the Iranian market. The trend suggests that Omani trade channels are helping alleviate some of the logistical pressure created by the maritime restrictions on Iran’s southern coastline.