Which one of the following countries has not participated in operation “Storm of Resolve” being conducted in Yemen?

The operation is the Saudi-led air campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, launched in March 2015 as Operation Decisive Storm and followed by Operation Restoring Hope. The coalition was built around the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan also named. The question's name is a loose version of the operation's title, so keep the substance in mind.

Correct answer: C) Oman. Oman, which has long played a neutral mediating role between Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, stayed out of the coalition.

• Qatar: a GCC member that joined and contributed aircraft, so it is wrong.
• Kuwait: a GCC member that joined the coalition, so it is wrong.
• Pakistan: its name appeared on the coalition list and its parliament debated the request, but in April 2015 it declined to send troops into combat. Its role was ambiguous rather than fully active, which is why it is the trickier option. The question's intent points to Oman, which never joined.

Mains angle: this episode shows the Saudi-Iran rivalry spilling into Yemen and the strain it puts on GCC unity, and it matters to India because of its energy imports through the Gulf and the large Indian diaspora there. Operation Raahat evacuated Indian nationals from Yemen in 2015.

Trap: candidates pick Pakistan because it is the most unfamiliar name, or they assume every Gulf state joined. Remember that Oman's neutrality is the consistent, well-documented fact here.