 Oman is unusual among Arab states of the Persian Gulf in that it has a long history of cordial relations with Tehran, something Washington is keen to make use of in resolving a number of regional security issues.In 2019, it was revealed that Yusuf bin Alawi had been targeted by Project Raven; a UAE clandestine surveillance and hacking operation, targeting other governments, militants and human rights activists critical of the UAE monarchy.Using a "sophisticated spying tool called Karma" they managed to hack a device belonging to Yusuf bin Alawi.