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Oman

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Oman. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Muscat

Head of State

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq

Head of Government

Prime Minister Haitham bin Tariq

Protesters gather in Washington on March 28 to join a massive “No Kings” demonstration against Donald Trump amid opposition to the US president’s decision to go to war against Iran. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

As I see it | The twilight of US hegemony and Israeli expansionism

The war in Iran is speeding the world towards a multipolar system.

4 Apr 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war: French and Japanese-owned ships make first Hormuz crossings

4 Apr 2026 - 12:32AMvideocam

China-EU relations

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

3 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysia urged to take more aggressive action to tackle energy crisis

Analysts warn of escalating risks to Malaysia’s economy and call for adjusting the subsidy scheme to stop the government from ‘burning cash’.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:17PM

Vehicles are seen near the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 27. Photo: EPA

China-Middle East relations

China’s Iran war strategy, Trump’s Hormuz ask: 7 global relations reads

From a China-Israel call on Iran to an unlikely nuclear deal, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in March 2026.

2 Apr 2026 - 11:00PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s president sends message to Americans in open letter

Some see the move as Tehran’s bid to convince the US public that the war is wrong and thus indirectly force a ceasefire.

2 Apr 2026 - 11:23AM

Pakistan

What Pakistan gains by playing peacemaker in Iran war

If Islamabad can successfully carry off the talks, it stands a chance of bringing in much-needed investments and weapon sales, analysts say.

1 Apr 2026 - 7:20PMvideocam

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) and Army Chief Asim Munir (right) meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 26, 2025. Photo: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office/AFP

Middle East

Trump urges countries seeking oil to go to Strait of Hormuz and ‘just take it’

Amid high prices of fuel during the Iran war, the US leader urged nations to buy American oil or ‘just take it’ from the Strait of Hormuz.

1 Apr 2026 - 1:43AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

After early anger, Gulf allies press Trump for final blow to Iran

The UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain are pushing hard for Trump to order a ground invasion of Tehran, according to a diplomat.

31 Mar 2026 - 2:16PMvideocam

US-China relations

Letters | Unfinished business: the delay of Trump’s China visit

Readers discuss the postponement of the US president’s visit to Beijing, and the underlying impulse behind American military action.

31 Mar 2026 - 11:30AM

US President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on October 30, 2025, in Busan, South Korea. Photo: Getty Images

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s Islamic republic will ‘collapse internally’, says Netanyahu

Gulf allies of the US, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are meanwhile urging Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran.

31 Mar 2026 - 6:36AMvideocam

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: EPA

China-EU relations

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

31 Mar 2026 - 6:03AMvideocam

Middle East

Chinese container ships pass through Strait of Hormuz at second attempt, data shows

The two ships, which had turned back on Friday, are the first non-Iranian container ships to leave the Gulf since the war began.

31 Mar 2026 - 4:30AMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s PM will mull top-level talks with Iran at ‘appropriate’ time

Stability in the Middle East is vital for Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

30 Mar 2026 - 9:54PMvideocam

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ‘s comments come as prospects for a US-Iran meeting mediated by Pakistan remain uncertain. Photo: AFP

My Take

My Take | Iran has shown the West’s containment of China is a fool’s errand

Countries across the world will be wise to hedge their bets with Beijing as the war exposes US security ‘guarantees’ as burdens and liabilities for allies.

29 Mar 2026 - 9:15PM

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: Reuters/File Photo

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says Iran ‘begging’ for deal, but teases new aid for hard-hit US farmers

Trump shrugs off the need to reach a settlement, then alleges Iran let oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a ‘gift’ to the US.

27 Mar 2026 - 2:54PMvideocam

India

As India and US seek to reset defence ties, Iran war threatens to be wild card

An Iranian vessel’s sinking in the Indian Ocean has triggered anger in India, while New Delhi is worried about the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

26 Mar 2026 - 4:14PMvideocam

Yuan

How the Iran war could pave the way for the rise of China’s ‘petroyuan’

Disruptions from the war could accelerate a shift in the oil trade, threatening the US dollar’s long-held dominance, analysts say.

26 Mar 2026 - 10:14AMvideocam

China launched yuan-denominated oil futures contracts in 2018, though US dollar-based contracts continue to dominate. Photo: Shutterstock

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran rejects US ceasefire plan, has own demands to end fighting

Trump claimed Iranian leaders are ‘afraid’ to admit they want a deal after Tehran’s foreign minister said ‘we do not plan on any negotiations’.

26 Mar 2026 - 11:17AM

China trade

China-owned vessel secures rare Strait of Hormuz transit as Iran war grinds on

China’s Cosco Shipping Lines has also reopened Middle East bookings, signalling a tentative return while warning instability may still disrupt services.

25 Mar 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Middle East

Opinion | As the Gulf grows riskier, the Arctic is gaining strategic weight

As traditional energy centres become less stable, the Arctic’s resources, shipping routes and infrastructure are growing in importance.

25 Mar 2026 - 11:05AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says Iran gave the US gift ‘worth a tremendous amount of money’

US president claims Tehran offered an ‘oil and gas related’ gift and that it was a sign talks are happening with ‘the right people’.

25 Mar 2026 - 12:49PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump has said he wants joint control of the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP

China-Middle East relations

Opinion | When it comes to the Persian Gulf, China’s top priority is economics

Beijing’s refusal to pick sides between Iran and other Gulf states affirms its strategic positioning rather than a desire to shift paradigms.

24 Mar 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

24 Mar 2026 - 9:04AMvideocam

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong raises Iran, Israel travel alerts to black, expands amber warning

Amber travel alert expanded to include Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

23 Mar 2026 - 10:49PM

Emergency response personnel work at the site of damage after Iranian missile barrages struck Dimona in southern Israel on March 21, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Drivers in China rush to fill up before biggest petrol price hike this year

Beijing will raise refined oil prices for the fifth time this year at midnight but puts in place a temporary control to reduce the impact.

23 Mar 2026 - 7:33PM

Motorists queue to fill their tanks ahead of a petrol price adjustment expected on Monday, at a petrol station in Suzhou, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on Sunday. Photo: CN-STR/AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

‘No immunity’: Iran war threatens energy crisis worse than 1970s oil shocks

The boss of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, spoke out as the war grinds into its fourth week.

23 Mar 2026 - 6:59PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s erratic strategy on Iran raises questions about US war preparation

A confusing combination of actions by Trump deepens a sense that there is no clear strategy for the war.

23 Mar 2026 - 5:03PMvideocam

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Oman

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}As I see it | The twilight of US hegemony and Israeli expansionism

The war in Iran is speeding the world towards a multipolar system.

Iran war: French and Japanese-owned ships make first Hormuz crossings

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

Malaysia urged to take more aggressive action to tackle energy crisis

Analysts warn of escalating risks to Malaysia’s economy and call for adjusting the subsidy scheme to stop the government from ‘burning cash’.

China’s Iran war strategy, Trump’s Hormuz ask: 7 global relations reads

From a China-Israel call on Iran to an unlikely nuclear deal, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in March 2026.

Iran’s president sends message to Americans in open letter

Some see the move as Tehran’s bid to convince the US public that the war is wrong and thus indirectly force a ceasefire.

What Pakistan gains by playing peacemaker in Iran war

If Islamabad can successfully carry off the talks, it stands a chance of bringing in much-needed investments and weapon sales, analysts say.

Trump urges countries seeking oil to go to Strait of Hormuz and ‘just take it’

Amid high prices of fuel during the Iran war, the US leader urged nations to buy American oil or ‘just take it’ from the Strait of Hormuz.

After early anger, Gulf allies press Trump for final blow to Iran

The UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain are pushing hard for Trump to order a ground invasion of Tehran, according to a diplomat.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Unfinished business: the delay of Trump’s China visit

Readers discuss the postponement of the US president’s visit to Beijing, and the underlying impulse behind American military action.

Iran’s Islamic republic will ‘collapse internally’, says Netanyahu

Gulf allies of the US, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are meanwhile urging Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran.

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

Chinese container ships pass through Strait of Hormuz at second attempt, data shows

The two ships, which had turned back on Friday, are the first non-Iranian container ships to leave the Gulf since the war began.

Japan’s PM will mull top-level talks with Iran at ‘appropriate’ time

Stability in the Middle East is vital for Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

My Take | Iran has shown the West’s containment of China is a fool’s errand

Countries across the world will be wise to hedge their bets with Beijing as the war exposes US security ‘guarantees’ as burdens and liabilities for allies.

Trump says Iran ‘begging’ for deal, but teases new aid for hard-hit US farmers

Trump shrugs off the need to reach a settlement, then alleges Iran let oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a ‘gift’ to the US.

As India and US seek to reset defence ties, Iran war threatens to be wild card

An Iranian vessel’s sinking in the Indian Ocean has triggered anger in India, while New Delhi is worried about the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

How the Iran war could pave the way for the rise of China’s ‘petroyuan’

Disruptions from the war could accelerate a shift in the oil trade, threatening the US dollar’s long-held dominance, analysts say.

Iran rejects US ceasefire plan, has own demands to end fighting

Trump claimed Iranian leaders are ‘afraid’ to admit they want a deal after Tehran’s foreign minister said ‘we do not plan on any negotiations’.

China-owned vessel secures rare Strait of Hormuz transit as Iran war grinds on

China’s Cosco Shipping Lines has also reopened Middle East bookings, signalling a tentative return while warning instability may still disrupt services.

Opinion | As the Gulf grows riskier, the Arctic is gaining strategic weight

As traditional energy centres become less stable, the Arctic’s resources, shipping routes and infrastructure are growing in importance.

Trump says Iran gave the US gift ‘worth a tremendous amount of money’

US president claims Tehran offered an ‘oil and gas related’ gift and that it was a sign talks are happening with ‘the right people’.

Opinion | When it comes to the Persian Gulf, China’s top priority is economics

Beijing’s refusal to pick sides between Iran and other Gulf states affirms its strategic positioning rather than a desire to shift paradigms.

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

Hong Kong raises Iran, Israel travel alerts to black, expands amber warning

Amber travel alert expanded to include Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Drivers in China rush to fill up before biggest petrol price hike this year

Beijing will raise refined oil prices for the fifth time this year at midnight but puts in place a temporary control to reduce the impact.

‘No immunity’: Iran war threatens energy crisis worse than 1970s oil shocks

The boss of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, spoke out as the war grinds into its fourth week.

Trump’s erratic strategy on Iran raises questions about US war preparation

A confusing combination of actions by Trump deepens a sense that there is no clear strategy for the war.

As I see it | The twilight of US hegemony and Israeli expansionism

Letters | Unfinished business: the delay of Trump’s China visit