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Oman

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
Illustration: Dennis Yip
US-China relations

Opinion | The US-China relationship has stabilised but on Beijing’s terms

Managed rivalry is not peace; it is a rules-based pause with China largely writing the rules. The test is whether the US can live with it.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says he expects new Iran talks after rejecting proposal

Mainland China

China’s sulphur imports dive 65% as prices surge 3.5 times

US, Israel war on Iran

Indian sailor killed in attack on vessel in Hormuz: India and Oman authorities

A strike on the cargo ship Cape Dao led to a fire in the engine room, and 27 crew members had to be evacuated by the Omani navy.

Iranians walk next to an anti-US billboard carrying a sentence in Persian that reads “The devil army will be drowned in the Persian Gulf” in Tehran on Monday. Photo: EPA
China-Middle East relations

Chinese firms keen on Oman’s International Financial Centre: official

Neutrality amid US-Israel war on Iran cited as an advantage, as well as location of ports away from Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea

‘No deployment for war’: South Korea rejects US request for Iran support

President Lee Jae Myung has drawn a firm line against sending troops or assets to the Middle East, defying pressure from Washington.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis

Riyadh is now working frantically to build a coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea and defend the kingdom against Houthi attacks.

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Firefighters inspect damage to a building caused by falling debris from a reported Houthi drone intercepted over Taif province, western Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. Photo: Saudi Press Agency / AP
A car is damaged by a reported Houthi drone attack over Taif, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Saudi Press Agency / AFP
A building is damaged by shrapnel from a reported Houthi drone in Taif on Thursday. Photo: Saudi Press Agency / AFP
Middle East

Saudis turn to Western, regional allies as missile defences run low

Regional officials say kingdom appeals to France, UK, Pakistan, and Egypt for help against Houthis amid US interceptor shortages.

US, Israel war on Iran

US military fires on boats attempting to capture sailing drone off Iran

Central Command confirms engagement off Iranian coast as Tehran claims vessels were local fishing craft.

US, Israel war on Iran

Price of Epic Fury: Iran war’s toll on US bases, weapons and more

Pentagon inspector general offers an official accounting of the war’s costs in expended US munitions and damages.

Smoke rises from damage at the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Manama, Bahrain, after Iranian strikes, in a satellite photo taken March 1, 2026. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran says tanker exploded in Strait of Hormuz as US rejects account

IRGC says vessel hit sea mine in waterway as CENTCOM accuses Tehran of drone strike and intimidation.

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A propaganda billboard in Tehran depicting sinking US warships in the Persian Gulf. Photo: EPA
China energy security

China’s oil demand could falter as Saudi pipeline shutdown raises costs

Supply relatively insulated in short term, but refiners could cut run rates amid rising crude prices, freight costs, analysts say.

US, Israel war on Iran

Middle East diplomacy stalls as war spreads, Hormuz talks postponed

New attacks in Hormuz and Saudi Arabia as planned talks between Tehran and its neighbours are put off.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong to deepen ties with Global South and Middle East, finance chief says

Financial Secretary Paul Chan says city will build ‘networked, institutionalised’ links with emerging economies, from green finance to research and development.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan speaks at the launch event of Sohar International Bank in Hong Kong on September 10. Photo: ISD
Middle East

Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait

The move potentially tightens the militants’ grip on a vital shipping route, further increasing the threat to energy markets.

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Yemen’s Houthi rebels ride a motorbike during a mobilisation campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday on Thursday. Photo: AP
United States

US producer inflation tops expectations as energy costs jump amid Iran war

The Producer Price Index was up 5.4 per cent year-on-year last month, a significant acceleration from the 4.8 per cent rise in July.

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump offers new timeline on Iran war: end after US midterm elections

US president claims Tehran is trying to influence vote as he warns against activity at underground nuclear site.

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Banking & finance

Oman’s Sohar International to open first Asia office in Hong Kong: sources

The new office, located at Cheung Kong Center II in Central, marks the first time the bank has expanded outside the Middle East.

Sohar International Bank is Oman’s second-largest bank by total assets. Photo: Handout
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran attacks naval drone near Hormuz after US strikes 3 oil tankers

The latest round of clashes, which began with US raids last week, comes amid a deadlock in the six-month war.

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China trade

China rejects G20 trade-imbalance claims, says no need to devalue yuan

Beijing ‘deeply regrets’ a consensus was not reached after opposing some of the language used, and China urges deficit countries to cut spending.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran targets US bases in Kuwait despite warnings from Trump

Iran launches missiles and drones at Gulf neighour following US strikes that killed at least 19.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet on the USS George Washington on August 29, 2026
Energy

As oil tops US$97, US-Iran war escalation has markets bracing for supply risks

Fresh military strikes in the Middle East have sent energy prices surging, leaving traders to grapple with renewed volatility.

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A customer pumps gas at a petrol station in Katy, Texas in the US on August 17. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

US carries out new strikes on Iranian targets as hostilities flare

Iran targets American interests in Gulf states after US forces attack Iranian air defence sites, radar systems and maritime assets.

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US-China trade war

Opinion | Move over Strait of Hormuz. Innovation chokepoints are the ones to watch

The strength of a chokepoint lies not only in the force of the initial blow but in the scale of the long-term damage it leaves behind.

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Iran

Open Questions | Trita Parsi on why US air strikes strengthened Iran’s hand

Iranian-born and Washington-based expert analyses Tehran’s leverage, China’s non-intervention strategy and shifting Persian Gulf alliances.

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Illustration : Brian Wang
US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz deal presses pause on Iran conflict, but fears of ‘forever war’ remain

Tehran is likely to stick to its guns in the hopes that the US midterms will bring about a Republican defeat, analysts say.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (right) greets Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi in Tehran on Tuesday. Photo: Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs/EPA
China-Middle East relations

Open Questions | Iran expert on China’s balancing act amid conflict with US and Israel

Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute says Beijing was wise to stay out of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which he believes could spark up again.

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US-China relations

What China can do to secure trade routes in its coming high-seas struggle with US

Di Dongsheng argues it could take three decades for China to dominate access to ports, straits, canals and shipping lanes around the world.

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