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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

More than 10,000 troops are taking part in the US blockade of Iran, according to the US Central Command. Photo: Handout

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says the Iran war is ‘close to over’. Is he just out of options?

Several clocks are ticking for the American president as he looks for a way out of the deadlock, observers suggest.

2 minutes agovideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Can Iran’s small, fast-attack boats challenge US naval blockade of Hormuz?

2 hours agovideocam

China energy security

Which countries are most vulnerable as US imposes Persian Gulf blockade?

15 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM

US, Israel war on Iran

US blockade of Strait of Hormuz is ‘easy for them to do’ but at what cost?

Analysts believe plan to target Iran’s economic lifeline is well within US Navy’s capabilities, but warn this may prompt a military response.

13 Apr 2026 - 9:55PMvideocam

The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway for oil and natural gas. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong stock market

Stocks drop and oil surges back above US$100 as US blockade of Hormuz escalates war

Stock markets across Asia fell, with Japan’s Nikkei losing 0.7 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi dropping 0.9 per cent.

13 Apr 2026 - 4:48PMvideocam

My Take

My Take | Iran’s emergence as a major power should be welcome in a multipolar world

Countering US imperialism and Israeli state terrorism should now be an imperative for the entire international community.

13 Apr 2026 - 6:31AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Blown to hell’: Trump announces US blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The US plans to block ‘all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports’ starting on Monday.

14 Apr 2026 - 9:20AMvideocam

245

US President Donald Trump says the American navy will block entry to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: TNS

Japan

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.

11 Apr 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US presses Iran as talks gear up in Pakistan under fragile ceasefire

Vice-President J.D. Vance to lead negotiations in Islamabad as Tehran sets preconditions, Trump warns of military action if diplomacy fails.

11 Apr 2026 - 6:20AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

The six GCC nations worry that the US will prioritise Tehran’s needs and leave the Gulf monarchies vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

10 Apr 2026 - 7:01PMvideocam

Police officers walk towards the president’s official residence in Islamabad, as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for peace talks on Friday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Yuan tokens and oil-linked fees? China experts propose ‘innovative’ Hormuz tolls

Analysts warn Trump’s ‘joint venture’ plan with Iran could formalise grey zone, while Beijing balances roles as mediator, energy importer.

10 Apr 2026 - 4:56PMvideocam

Shipping vessels sit anchored in Muscat, Oman. The country, which shares control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, has no plans to impose fees on ships passing through the strait. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Strait of Hormuz: is a Trump‑Iran joint venture really possible?

With regime change increasingly out of reach, the US president may pivot towards a business deal with Tehran’s fractured leadership.

9 Apr 2026 - 8:45PMvideocam

Thailand

Thailand confirms deaths of 3 cargo ship crew in Gulf attack

The Thai-flagged ship was struck on March 11 while travelling through the Gulf waterway.

8 Apr 2026 - 7:40PM

France

French detainees back in Paris after ‘terrible ordeal’ in Iran

The pair had been under house arrest at the French embassy in Tehran ever since being freed from more than three years in prison in November.

8 Apr 2026 - 7:28PMvideocam

French President Emmanuel Macron greets Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris after three and a half years in detention, next to French ambassador to Iran Pierre Cochard at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran allows 2 French former detainees to leave country

The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations amid the Iran war.

7 Apr 2026 - 11:13PM

Portraits of Cecile Kohler (left) and her partner Jacques Paris along with a placard reading “Freedom for Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris arbitrarily detained in Iran for over two years in appalling conditions” outside the Palais Bourbon, France’s National Assembly in 2025. Photo: AFP

Malaysia

Iran ‘does not forget its friends’ as Malaysia-linked ships pass through Hormuz

The move signals Tehran’s use of access to Hormuz as leverage, analysts say, while drawing scrutiny over Malaysia’s oil transfers.

7 Apr 2026 - 7:52PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’: Donald Trump heightens Iran threats

Ahead of ‘complete demolition’ deadline, two sides face trust deficit and see no acceptable guarantor between them, analysts say.

7 Apr 2026 - 11:46PMvideocam

Middle East

Opinion | For Gulf states, geography is both a generous and treacherous patron

Sandwiched between Iran and Israel, oil-rich transport hubs like the UAE now face the fragility of their newly built economic prosperity.

7 Apr 2026 - 4:30PM

A couple stands looking at the Dubai skyline, with a view of the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building, seen from Creek Harbour on April 3. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Damage control’? Behind France, Germany’s bid to contain Iran war oil fallout

The European powers are leading calls for de-escalation but analyst notes ‘the age of soft power as a substitute for hard capacity is over’.

7 Apr 2026 - 7:45AMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi seeks urgent summit with Iran as Trump’s Hormuz deadline looms

Japan has been bearing the brunt of the Iran war as the resource-poor nation relies on the Middle East for most of its crude oil imports.

6 Apr 2026 - 1:32PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump draws criticism with fiery, foul-mouthed message threatening Iran

US president appears to extend deadline to Tuesday for Iran to ‘make a deal’ or he’s ‘blowing everything up’.

6 Apr 2026 - 4:58PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump before giving his national address on the Iran war last week. Photo: AP

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

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

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

France and Japan have called for a ceasefire in the conflict, with Macron saying the waterway can only be reopened when the bombing stops.

4 Apr 2026 - 12:32AMvideocam

China-EU relations

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

Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.

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 President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

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

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Oman

Trump says the Iran war is ‘close to over’. Is he just out of options?

Several clocks are ticking for the American president as he looks for a way out of the deadlock, observers suggest.

Can Iran’s small, fast-attack boats challenge US naval blockade of Hormuz?

Which countries are most vulnerable as US imposes Persian Gulf blockade?

US blockade of Strait of Hormuz is ‘easy for them to do’ but at what cost?

Analysts believe plan to target Iran’s economic lifeline is well within US Navy’s capabilities, but warn this may prompt a military response.

Stocks drop and oil surges back above US$100 as US blockade of Hormuz escalates war

Stock markets across Asia fell, with Japan’s Nikkei losing 0.7 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi dropping 0.9 per cent.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Iran’s emergence as a major power should be welcome in a multipolar world

Countering US imperialism and Israeli state terrorism should now be an imperative for the entire international community.

‘Blown to hell’: Trump announces US blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The US plans to block ‘all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports’ starting on Monday.

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.

US presses Iran as talks gear up in Pakistan under fragile ceasefire

Vice-President J.D. Vance to lead negotiations in Islamabad as Tehran sets preconditions, Trump warns of military action if diplomacy fails.

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

The six GCC nations worry that the US will prioritise Tehran’s needs and leave the Gulf monarchies vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

Yuan tokens and oil-linked fees? China experts propose ‘innovative’ Hormuz tolls

Analysts warn Trump’s ‘joint venture’ plan with Iran could formalise grey zone, while Beijing balances roles as mediator, energy importer.

Strait of Hormuz: is a Trump‑Iran joint venture really possible?

With regime change increasingly out of reach, the US president may pivot towards a business deal with Tehran’s fractured leadership.

Thailand confirms deaths of 3 cargo ship crew in Gulf attack

The Thai-flagged ship was struck on March 11 while travelling through the Gulf waterway.

French detainees back in Paris after ‘terrible ordeal’ in Iran

The pair had been under house arrest at the French embassy in Tehran ever since being freed from more than three years in prison in November.

Iran allows 2 French former detainees to leave country

The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations amid the Iran war.

Iran ‘does not forget its friends’ as Malaysia-linked ships pass through Hormuz

The move signals Tehran’s use of access to Hormuz as leverage, analysts say, while drawing scrutiny over Malaysia’s oil transfers.

‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’: Donald Trump heightens Iran threats

Ahead of ‘complete demolition’ deadline, two sides face trust deficit and see no acceptable guarantor between them, analysts say.

Opinion | For Gulf states, geography is both a generous and treacherous patron

Sandwiched between Iran and Israel, oil-rich transport hubs like the UAE now face the fragility of their newly built economic prosperity.

‘Damage control’? Behind France, Germany’s bid to contain Iran war oil fallout

The European powers are leading calls for de-escalation but analyst notes ‘the age of soft power as a substitute for hard capacity is over’.

Japan’s Takaichi seeks urgent summit with Iran as Trump’s Hormuz deadline looms

Japan has been bearing the brunt of the Iran war as the resource-poor nation relies on the Middle East for most of its crude oil imports.

Trump draws criticism with fiery, foul-mouthed message threatening Iran

US president appears to extend deadline to Tuesday for Iran to ‘make a deal’ or he’s ‘blowing everything up’.

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

France and Japan have called for a ceasefire in the conflict, with Macron saying the waterway can only be reopened when the bombing stops.

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

Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.

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.

My Take | Iran’s emergence as a major power should be welcome in a multipolar world