India, June 7 -- GCC is not primarily concerned with what happened to Oman, but what the episode reveals about the American security guarantee.

Last month, for the very first time, the United States (US) government threatened Oman, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The irony is that US underwrites the security of the GCC, and Oman has long been pro-American.

Oman is, by any structural measure, a small nation (its population is under five million), its military is not a regional force, and its economy is among the more exposed of the Gulf monarchies to international commodity and economic volatility.

But Oman has punched above its weight in regional diplomatic affairs since the 1970s, playing behind-the-scenes roles in ope...