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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

President Donald Trump said the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “scares them even more than the bombing”. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran latest: Trump has ‘no time frame’ to end war as world waits for peace talks

US leader sees ‘no time pressure’ on ceasefire while Iranian president says blockade, threats are ‘main obstacles to genuine negotiations’.

2 hours agovideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

22 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz: here’s what happened overnight

21 Apr 2026 - 7:36PMvideocam

India

Iran firing on Indian oil tankers in Hormuz sparks ‘mistaken identity’ fears

Analysts say the episode reveals how easily military pressure and confusion in Hormuz can affect vessels not meant to be in the line of fire.

21 Apr 2026 - 2:27PMvideocam

Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Iran warn they are ready for war as clock ticks on ceasefire end

As talks remain in limbo, a key Iranian figure says the Islamic Republic is ready to ‘show new cards on the battlefield’.

21 Apr 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

China’s anti-sanctions law

How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure

New rules take aim at sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could provide a high-stakes testing ground.

21 Apr 2026 - 6:46AM

Iran

Video | US forces seize Iranian ship

Iran announced it had no plans yet to take part in a second round of negotiations, citing excessive US demands.

20 Apr 2026 - 9:18PM

01:28

China energy security

As the Hormuz crisis exposes ‘fragile’ supply chains, how will China respond?

Beijing has so far managed to contain fallout from the Iran war – but policymakers are still moving to reinforce resilience.

20 Apr 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

What the US-Iran ‘fight-talk’ dynamic means before their ceasefire ends

Meanwhile, China expresses ‘concern’ over America’s interception of Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Gulf of Oman.

20 Apr 2026 - 7:32PMvideocam

China trade

China presses IMF for quota reform, better surveillance of advanced economies

PBOC head urges IMF to ‘stand against protectionism’ amid effects from tariffs, Iran war.

20 Apr 2026 - 5:05PM

PBOC governor Pan Gongsheng appears with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF. Photo: handout

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Passage through the Strait of Hormuz is a right in war and peace

Neutral ships have a legal right of passage, even in war. Singapore has defended international law, which provides for a stable world order.

18 Apr 2026 - 1:30PMvideocam

An illustration shows the Strait of Hormuz, which is bordered by Iran and Oman. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia

Gloves are off: Malaysian makers warn hospitals of price hikes, output cuts

Sustained disruption to naphtha supply chains from the Iran war could lead to glove shortfall by late May, analysts say.

18 Apr 2026 - 11:47AM

Japan

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

18 Apr 2026 - 10:30AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels

Move eases oil fears, but US’ Iran blockade remains amid questions over enforcement and China’s role, as Trump claims to have ended 10 wars.

18 Apr 2026 - 7:47AMvideocam

A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

China-Middle East relations

Exclusive | Hong Kong-flagged tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz in test of US blockade

AVA 6 passage marks at least the second transit of a China-linked tanker through the waterway since the US military operation began.

17 Apr 2026 - 9:38PMvideocam

Shipping data shows a Hong Kong-flagged ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

China-Asean relations

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

Pledge is a bid to ‘embed Japan at the centre of Southeast Asia’s energy security architecture’, observer notes, but questions its impact.

16 Apr 2026 - 9:02PMvideocam

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.

15 Apr 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

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

Iran’s conventional navy might be decimated, but its large fleet of high-speed boats could well pose a threat, analysts in China say.

15 Apr 2026 - 8:13PMvideocam

“Forever in Iran’s hand”, a large billboard proclaims in Persian in a reference to the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran on April 15. Photo: EPA

China energy security

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

Nomura says more than 90 per cent of the crude oil imported by Japan and the Philippines comes from the Middle East.

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

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

Cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said that American forces would block the strait on Monday after peace talks with Iran collapsed. Photo: Reuters

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

The Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi crude oil tanker, is seen following a drone strike on March 31. Photo: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation handout via Reuters

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

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 Vice-President J.D. Vance before boarding Air Force Two on Friday en route to Pakistan for high-stakes talks with Iran. Photo: Reuters

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

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

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Oman

Iran latest: Trump has ‘no time frame’ to end war as world waits for peace talks

US leader sees ‘no time pressure’ on ceasefire while Iranian president says blockade, threats are ‘main obstacles to genuine negotiations’.

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Trump, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz: here’s what happened overnight

Iran firing on Indian oil tankers in Hormuz sparks ‘mistaken identity’ fears

Analysts say the episode reveals how easily military pressure and confusion in Hormuz can affect vessels not meant to be in the line of fire.

US and Iran warn they are ready for war as clock ticks on ceasefire end

As talks remain in limbo, a key Iranian figure says the Islamic Republic is ready to ‘show new cards on the battlefield’.

How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure

New rules take aim at sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could provide a high-stakes testing ground.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | US forces seize Iranian ship

Iran announced it had no plans yet to take part in a second round of negotiations, citing excessive US demands.

As the Hormuz crisis exposes ‘fragile’ supply chains, how will China respond?

Beijing has so far managed to contain fallout from the Iran war – but policymakers are still moving to reinforce resilience.

What the US-Iran ‘fight-talk’ dynamic means before their ceasefire ends

Meanwhile, China expresses ‘concern’ over America’s interception of Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Gulf of Oman.

China presses IMF for quota reform, better surveillance of advanced economies

PBOC head urges IMF to ‘stand against protectionism’ amid effects from tariffs, Iran war.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Passage through the Strait of Hormuz is a right in war and peace

Neutral ships have a legal right of passage, even in war. Singapore has defended international law, which provides for a stable world order.

Gloves are off: Malaysian makers warn hospitals of price hikes, output cuts

Sustained disruption to naphtha supply chains from the Iran war could lead to glove shortfall by late May, analysts say.

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels

Move eases oil fears, but US’ Iran blockade remains amid questions over enforcement and China’s role, as Trump claims to have ended 10 wars.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Hong Kong-flagged tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz in test of US blockade

AVA 6 passage marks at least the second transit of a China-linked tanker through the waterway since the US military operation began.

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

Pledge is a bid to ‘embed Japan at the centre of Southeast Asia’s energy security architecture’, observer notes, but questions its impact.

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?

Iran’s conventional navy might be decimated, but its large fleet of high-speed boats could well pose a threat, analysts in China say.

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

Nomura says more than 90 per cent of the crude oil imported by Japan and the Philippines comes from the Middle East.

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.

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.

Video | US forces seize Iranian ship

Opinion | Passage through the Strait of Hormuz is a right in war and peace

Exclusive | Hong Kong-flagged tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz in test of US blockade