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/ location

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

US President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the White House in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

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

26 Mar 2026 - 4:14PMvideocam

Yuan

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

26 Mar 2026 - 10:14AMvideocam

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

Smoke plumes billowing in the vicinity of Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday after drones hit a fuel tank and sparked a fire. Photo: European Space Agency via AFP

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

Malaysia

Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill jumps to US$811 million amid Iran war

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said monthly fuel subsidies surged more than fourfold as the conflict chokes global supply routes.

23 Mar 2026 - 9:45AMvideocam

A worker pumps fuel at a petrol station in Sarawak, Malaysia. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran awaits Trump threat to ‘obliterate’ power plants, readies response

Iran has threatened to ‘completely’ close the Strait of Hormuz and hit the region’s infrastructure after Trump’s ultimatum.

23 Mar 2026 - 2:53PM

A USAF B-1 bomber at RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire, Britain. Photo: Reuters

Science

Could ultra-precise harvest forecasts give China an advantage in Iran war fallout?

Accurate grain output prediction allows China to mitigate food shortages, react to global price rises or plan storage and export measures.

22 Mar 2026 - 6:20PMvideocam

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Exclusive | What are the real reasons behind the change of date for Trump’s China visit?

After confirmation that the high-stakes Xi-Trump summit will be delayed, analysts find a complex story beneath the official surface.

21 Mar 2026 - 2:39PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

UK allows US to use its bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting Hormuz

Trump has repeatedly attacked British PM Starmer since the conflict started, complaining ⁠he was not doing enough to help.

21 Mar 2026 - 7:23AMvideocam

A USAF B-1 bomber takes off at RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire, Britain, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Can the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz? Many military analysts are sceptical

Chinese observers question whether air strikes, and even a limited ground presence, will be enough to remove the threat to shipping.

20 Mar 2026 - 9:13PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Iran war revives pandemic-era shocks – and may go further

As war in Iran quickly reshapes energy flows, trade routes and political alignments, the crisis may mark the start of a more volatile new phase.

20 Mar 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Israel’s Netanyahu says Iran ‘decimated’, hints at ‘ground component’

Israeli PM boasts of destroying Tehran’s nuclear and ballistics capacity while hinting at at ‘many possibilities’ on the ground.

20 Mar 2026 - 9:53AMvideocam

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

US has no end date for Iran war, strikes ‘very much on track’: Hegseth

Trump will be the one to decide when to stop, the defence secretary says, as Pentagon asks for US$200 billion in extra funding.

19 Mar 2026 - 11:52PM

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on Thursday. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Severely damaged’: how the US-Israel war on Iran is decoupling Gulf security

As confidence in America’s defence guarantee erodes, Gulf states are now weighing a more multifaceted strategy, analysts say.

19 Mar 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

China food security

China taps reserves as Iran war disrupts 30% of global fertiliser trade

War in the Middle East is causing global disruption – from oil to agriculture – as countries, including China, enter spring planting season.

19 Mar 2026 - 4:28PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump allows foreign ships between domestic ports to stabilise petrol costs

Major maritime unions warn move ‘would do nothing to reduce gasoline prices’ and risks undermining American jobs and national security.

19 Mar 2026 - 4:22AMvideocam

Containers are stacked at the Port of Los Angeles on February 20. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Satellite images reveal damage of the widening Middle East war

Here’s a look at what’s visible in a selection of pictures throughout the region.

18 Mar 2026 - 3:55PM

A burning ship after a US military attack on a port in Bandar Abbas, Iran on March 2. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via AP

China-Middle East relations

Can China stay friendly with Gulf states and Iran as fighting escalates?

Iranian strikes on neighbouring states in response to US and Israeli attacks highlight how difficult Beijing’s balancing act has become.

18 Mar 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

US-China relations

Trump confirms delay of Xi meeting in Beijing as China ‘maintains communication’

Citing Iran, US president pushes back highly anticipated summit at least ‘five or six weeks’ while top diplomat Wang Yi indicates ceasefire efforts.

19 Mar 2026 - 9:29AMvideocam

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Oman

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

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

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.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}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.

Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill jumps to US$811 million amid Iran war

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said monthly fuel subsidies surged more than fourfold as the conflict chokes global supply routes.

Iran awaits Trump threat to ‘obliterate’ power plants, readies response

Iran has threatened to ‘completely’ close the Strait of Hormuz and hit the region’s infrastructure after Trump’s ultimatum.

Could ultra-precise harvest forecasts give China an advantage in Iran war fallout?

Accurate grain output prediction allows China to mitigate food shortages, react to global price rises or plan storage and export measures.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | What are the real reasons behind the change of date for Trump’s China visit?

After confirmation that the high-stakes Xi-Trump summit will be delayed, analysts find a complex story beneath the official surface.

UK allows US to use its bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting Hormuz

Trump has repeatedly attacked British PM Starmer since the conflict started, complaining ⁠he was not doing enough to help.

Can the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz? Many military analysts are sceptical

Chinese observers question whether air strikes, and even a limited ground presence, will be enough to remove the threat to shipping.

Opinion | Iran war revives pandemic-era shocks – and may go further

As war in Iran quickly reshapes energy flows, trade routes and political alignments, the crisis may mark the start of a more volatile new phase.

Israel’s Netanyahu says Iran ‘decimated’, hints at ‘ground component’

Israeli PM boasts of destroying Tehran’s nuclear and ballistics capacity while hinting at at ‘many possibilities’ on the ground.

US has no end date for Iran war, strikes ‘very much on track’: Hegseth

Trump will be the one to decide when to stop, the defence secretary says, as Pentagon asks for US$200 billion in extra funding.

‘Severely damaged’: how the US-Israel war on Iran is decoupling Gulf security

As confidence in America’s defence guarantee erodes, Gulf states are now weighing a more multifaceted strategy, analysts say.

China taps reserves as Iran war disrupts 30% of global fertiliser trade

War in the Middle East is causing global disruption – from oil to agriculture – as countries, including China, enter spring planting season.

Trump allows foreign ships between domestic ports to stabilise petrol costs

Major maritime unions warn move ‘would do nothing to reduce gasoline prices’ and risks undermining American jobs and national security.

Satellite images reveal damage of the widening Middle East war

Here’s a look at what’s visible in a selection of pictures throughout the region.

Can China stay friendly with Gulf states and Iran as fighting escalates?

Iranian strikes on neighbouring states in response to US and Israeli attacks highlight how difficult Beijing’s balancing act has become.

Trump confirms delay of Xi meeting in Beijing as China ‘maintains communication’

Citing Iran, US president pushes back highly anticipated summit at least ‘five or six weeks’ while top diplomat Wang Yi indicates ceasefire efforts.

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

Exclusive | What are the real reasons behind the change of date for Trump’s China visit?