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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

Oil tankers remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Photo: ISNA/AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

US strikes Iranian tanker amid reports Washington and Tehran near deal

Trump reiterated that Iran ‘cannot have a nuclear weapon’ as both sides combined military pressure with diplomatic efforts to end deadlock.

7 May 2026 - 4:29AMvideocam

Indonesia

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

6 May 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

6 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Japan

Bound by anxiety: Japan and Australia deepen ties for an uneasy age

Shared concerns about trade coercion and energy shocks are driving the two middle powers to ‘institutionalise’ their partnership.

6 May 2026 - 12:25PM

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the signing of their Joint Declaration on Economic Security Cooperation in Canberra on Monday. Photo: AAP/dpa

China-Middle East relations

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi to visit China days ahead of Donald Trump

Foreign Minister Araghchi will arrive on Wednesday and hold talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Beijing has announced.

5 May 2026 - 9:55PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US’ Bessent urges China to help open Strait of Hormuz

Treasury chief says Beijing’s energy buys fund ‘top sponsor of terrorism’, calls for action as US asserts ‘absolute control’ over waterway.

5 May 2026 - 10:33AM

United States

Wall Street hesitates, oil prices rise amid uncertainty in Strait of Hormuz

Despite all the uncertainty about how long the war with Iran will last, the US stock market has managed to power to record after record.

4 May 2026 - 9:55PMvideocam

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo: via AFP

Singapore

Singapore, New Zealand ink world first deal to secure essential supplies

Both governments committed not to impose unnecessary export restrictions on crucial goods such as food, fuel and healthcare products.

4 May 2026 - 3:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked

US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.

4 May 2026 - 1:17PMvideocam

China food security

China’s farmers face dual threats from El Nino and Iran war, analysts say

They warn that country’s fragmented farms are less resilient to natural disasters than bigger, more mechanised operations.

3 May 2026 - 8:00PM

Farmers in Hebi, Henan province, water newly sown corn in June 2024 after an El Nino event that lasted around a year. Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 May 2026 - 10:30AM

The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court

2026 Trump-Xi summit

China’s UN envoy blasts US ‘bullying’ as sanctions widen before Trump-Xi talks

Curbs tied to Iran and a fragile ceasefire cast a shadow over the leaders’ planned Beijing summit as tensions between the powers mount.

2 May 2026 - 6:36AMvideocam

US-China trade war

US sanctions China-based operator, others over alleged Iran oil trade links

State Department targets Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal for allegedly importing ‘tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil’.

2 May 2026 - 7:38AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says hostilities in Iran ‘terminated’ ahead of war powers deadline

Trump administration argues war in Iran has ended due to ceasefire, allowing White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.

2 May 2026 - 5:00AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump stops to speak to reporters before boarding Marine One on Friday. Photo: pool via EPA

Pakistan

Pakistan’s IMF-backed recovery under pressure as Iran-US mediation stalls

While Islamabad continues to push for peace, the war threatens to erode its foreign exchange reserves and make financing harder to secure.

30 Apr 2026 - 8:28PMvideocam

A trader monitors share prices at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday. Photo: EPA

China energy security

Why China may benefit from the UAE’s Opec withdrawal

Beijing may have access to increased supply – though Strait of Hormuz disruption remains a serious constraint, analysts say.

29 Apr 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Thailand

Bridge too far? Hormuz crisis revives Thailand’s controversial plan

While the plan to bypass the Malacca Strait is popular with Anutin’s government, economists and environmentalists say it is not realistic.

29 Apr 2026 - 6:38PM

China-Middle East relations

China’s calls to open Hormuz show the limits of its ties to Iran, experts say

While Beijing has long seen Tehran as a useful partner, the nation is not crucial to its Middle East strategy, analysts argue.

28 Apr 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

China’s representative Fu Cong at the UN headquarters in New York on April 7. China’s diplomatic statements are seen to indicate the delicate balance it is striking between rhetorical solidarity with Iran and its regional economic interests. Photo: Xinhua

SCMP Highlights

Takaichi faces headwinds, Filipino retiree loses life savings: 7 Asia highlights

From Indonesia’s ambitions outside of Asean to how a Filipino retiree lost his life savings, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

28 Apr 2026 - 2:22PM

Asean

Will Asean’s oil scramble mean Russia builds lasting stronghold in region?

Southeast Asia’s pivot may be for economic reasons, but some analysts warn Moscow could seek to build lasting influence in the region.

28 Apr 2026 - 7:24PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump and Iran trade red lines as Putin enters the diplomatic crossfire

Message via Pakistan outlines terms on nuclear work and Strait of Hormuz, as Moscow signals support and Washington considers next move.

28 Apr 2026 - 8:57AMvideocam

Iran

Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown

20,000 seafarers on around 1,600 ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf due to transit risks.

27 Apr 2026 - 10:04PM

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 20, 2026. REUTERS

02:45

King Charles III

King Charles’ state visit to US to go on as planned after shooting

King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, are due to arrive on Monday for a four-day state visit.

27 Apr 2026 - 11:09AMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Iran’s foreign minister returns to Pakistan after Trump cancels envoys’ trip

Tehran pursues urgent regional coordination as US president orders his negotiators to stay home.

28 Apr 2026 - 8:53AM

US, Israel war on Iran

US sanctions China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iran oil

Hengli Petrochemical’s facility in Dalian can process 400,000 barrels per day, making it one of the biggest independent refineries in China.

27 Apr 2026 - 1:13AMvideocam

A Hengli Group petrochemical industrial park is seen in China’s Dalian in June 2024. Photo: Xinhua

US, Israel war on Iran

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

24 Apr 2026 - 3:10PMvideocam

Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump orders US forces to ‘shoot and kill’ boats laying mines in Strait of Hormuz

US president authorises lethal force as the arrival of a third aircraft carrier bolsters a massive naval presence.

24 Apr 2026 - 5:08PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

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

Iranian president says blockade, threats ‘main obstacles’ to negotiations; and Iran reopens its airspace with some China flights to resume.

23 Apr 2026 - 12:18PMvideocam

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Oman

US strikes Iranian tanker amid reports Washington and Tehran near deal

Trump reiterated that Iran ‘cannot have a nuclear weapon’ as both sides combined military pressure with diplomatic efforts to end deadlock.

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

Bound by anxiety: Japan and Australia deepen ties for an uneasy age

Shared concerns about trade coercion and energy shocks are driving the two middle powers to ‘institutionalise’ their partnership.

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi to visit China days ahead of Donald Trump

Foreign Minister Araghchi will arrive on Wednesday and hold talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Beijing has announced.

US’ Bessent urges China to help open Strait of Hormuz

Treasury chief says Beijing’s energy buys fund ‘top sponsor of terrorism’, calls for action as US asserts ‘absolute control’ over waterway.

Wall Street hesitates, oil prices rise amid uncertainty in Strait of Hormuz

Despite all the uncertainty about how long the war with Iran will last, the US stock market has managed to power to record after record.

Singapore, New Zealand ink world first deal to secure essential supplies

Both governments committed not to impose unnecessary export restrictions on crucial goods such as food, fuel and healthcare products.

Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked

US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.

China’s farmers face dual threats from El Nino and Iran war, analysts say

They warn that country’s fragmented farms are less resilient to natural disasters than bigger, more mechanised operations.

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

China’s UN envoy blasts US ‘bullying’ as sanctions widen before Trump-Xi talks

Curbs tied to Iran and a fragile ceasefire cast a shadow over the leaders’ planned Beijing summit as tensions between the powers mount.

US sanctions China-based operator, others over alleged Iran oil trade links

State Department targets Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal for allegedly importing ‘tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil’.

Trump says hostilities in Iran ‘terminated’ ahead of war powers deadline

Trump administration argues war in Iran has ended due to ceasefire, allowing White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.

Pakistan’s IMF-backed recovery under pressure as Iran-US mediation stalls

While Islamabad continues to push for peace, the war threatens to erode its foreign exchange reserves and make financing harder to secure.

Why China may benefit from the UAE’s Opec withdrawal

Beijing may have access to increased supply – though Strait of Hormuz disruption remains a serious constraint, analysts say.

Bridge too far? Hormuz crisis revives Thailand’s controversial plan

While the plan to bypass the Malacca Strait is popular with Anutin’s government, economists and environmentalists say it is not realistic.

China’s calls to open Hormuz show the limits of its ties to Iran, experts say

While Beijing has long seen Tehran as a useful partner, the nation is not crucial to its Middle East strategy, analysts argue.

Takaichi faces headwinds, Filipino retiree loses life savings: 7 Asia highlights

From Indonesia’s ambitions outside of Asean to how a Filipino retiree lost his life savings, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Will Asean’s oil scramble mean Russia builds lasting stronghold in region?

Southeast Asia’s pivot may be for economic reasons, but some analysts warn Moscow could seek to build lasting influence in the region.

Trump and Iran trade red lines as Putin enters the diplomatic crossfire

Message via Pakistan outlines terms on nuclear work and Strait of Hormuz, as Moscow signals support and Washington considers next move.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown

20,000 seafarers on around 1,600 ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf due to transit risks.

King Charles’ state visit to US to go on as planned after shooting

King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, are due to arrive on Monday for a four-day state visit.

Iran’s foreign minister returns to Pakistan after Trump cancels envoys’ trip

Tehran pursues urgent regional coordination as US president orders his negotiators to stay home.

US sanctions China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iran oil

Hengli Petrochemical’s facility in Dalian can process 400,000 barrels per day, making it one of the biggest independent refineries in China.

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

Trump orders US forces to ‘shoot and kill’ boats laying mines in Strait of Hormuz

US president authorises lethal force as the arrival of a third aircraft carrier bolsters a massive naval presence.

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

Iranian president says blockade, threats ‘main obstacles’ to negotiations; and Iran reopens its airspace with some China flights to resume.

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown