Dubai
© Johannes De Bruycker

KHASAB / MUSCAT - The US and Iran continue to exchange attacks. US strikes are followed by Iranian retaliation, with targets including American bases in Gulf states such as Oman's Musandam exclave, which is separated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates and situated right on the Strait of Hormuz.

While the world was speculating about the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Johannes De Bruycker and Willem De Maeseneer travelled to the Omani exclave of Musandam to assess the situation.

It turns out that, despite the threat of war and sanctions, hundreds of Iranian speedboats cross the strait every day via centuries-old smuggling and trade routes.

Thanks to exceptional access to the port of Khasab, as well as interviews with smugglers, traders, fishermen, and local residents, this story unveils the hidden world of the border, where the everyday and geopolitical tensions are constantly in conflict.

While the journalists were on the ground, the conflict escalated for the first time in Oman, enabling them to witness its impact first-hand.

Team members