Iran taps Oman as trade route to skirt Hormuz blockade

Iran is using Oman’s Musandam port, particularly Khasab, as a back channel to move goods into the country after the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Cargo from the UAE is unloaded at Oman and reloaded onto Iranian vessels, with the route expanding to include other Omani ports. The workaround is far more expensive—about six times the previous UAE-to-Iran route—reflecting how the blockade is forcing trade into longer, costlier, and less predictable channels, while indicating the limits of Iran’s ability to bypass restrictions.