TOPIC

/ 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

Ships in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khasab, Oman. Photo: EPA-EFE

Middle East

Iran made preparations to mine the Strait of Hormuz, US sources say

Naval mines were loaded onto vessels last month, raising blockade fears, but US officials suggested it might have also been a ruse.

2 Jul 2025 - 12:40PMvideocam

Asean

Asian Angle | Are migrant workers the real glue cementing Asean-GCC ties?

28 Jun 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Beijing tells China ships in Strait of Hormuz to phone home amid safety risks

23 Jun 2025 - 8:11PMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Explainer | Why Strait of Hormuz matters – and what a blockade could mean for China, Asia

As the US joins Israel’s war with Iran, Tehran threatens to block strategic waterway – risking global energy and trade crisis.

23 Jun 2025 - 2:36PM

A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Middle East

US bases in the Middle East under threat as Iran vows retaliation

The US has thousands of troops deployed on bases across the Middle East - and Iran says they could be legitimate targets.

23 Jun 2025 - 11:16AM

Middle East

Gulf states urge maximum restraint following US strikes on Iran

Home to multiple US military bases, Gulf leaders called for maximum restraint as strikes on Iran raise the possibility of wider war.

22 Jun 2025 - 11:03PM

China travel

Explainer | 5 ways to enter mainland China without a visa

China has rapidly expanded its visa-free entry schemes in recent years to boost its tourism sector. Here is how the systems work.

16 Jun 2025 - 9:31PMvideocam

A Chinese immigration officer assists an American tourist entering China using the visa-free transit policy. Photo: Xinhua

Israel-Gaza war

Iran tells mediators it will not negotiate ‘while under attack’: official

Israel and Iran continue to trade attacks, raising fears of a bigger conflict.

16 Jun 2025 - 4:20PM

US-Iran tensions

Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader, US officials say

Israelis reportedly had opportunity to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Trump waved them off the plan.

16 Jun 2025 - 10:24AM

Middle East

Israel and Iran unleash more strikes, deepening Middle East crisis

Israel targets Iran’s Defence Ministry headquarters; Tehran launches deadly missile strikes.

15 Jun 2025 - 7:49PM

Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo: AP

Middle East

Trump and Putin discuss Israel-Iran tensions: ‘dangerous escalation’

During the 50-minute call, the leaders also spoke about Ukraine talks, while the Russian president congratulated Trump on his 79th birthday.

15 Jun 2025 - 4:59AMvideocam

Iranians attend an anti-Israel rally in Tehran on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Middle East

US pulling some personnel from Middle East as Iran tensions rise

Tensions in the region have been rising as US-Iran nuclear talks appear to have hit an impasse.

12 Jun 2025 - 3:11PM

US-Iran tensions

Iran to present nuclear counterproposal to US, Trump says talks to resume

Iran says it will put forward a ‘balanced’ counter to ‘unacceptable’ US proposal.

10 Jun 2025 - 11:33AM

China travel

China expands visa-free entry

Passport holders from 47 countries can visit China for 30 days visa-free under Beijing’s loosened entry policy.

9 Jun 2025 - 2:57PM

Tourists visit the Great Wall of China. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Iran’s supreme leader rejects key US nuclear demand

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defiant on uranium enrichment, blasts US ‘arrogance’ in nuclear dispute.

4 Jun 2025 - 3:39PM

Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via EPA-EFE

Asean

Opinion | Beyond trade, Asean-GCC-China summit heralds Asia’s cultural renaissance

The recent meeting in Kuala Lumpur transcended economics and geopolitics, representing a pivotal moment of inter-civilisational engagement.

1 Jun 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Middle East

US sends Iran proposal for nuclear deal

Washington and Tehran are expected to hold a 6th round of talks, with Trump saying an agreement was possible in the ‘not-too-distant future’.

1 Jun 2025 - 6:21AM

China-Middle East relations

China offers visa-free travel to 4 Gulf countries following landmark meeting

Passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days under year-long trial policy.

28 May 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Premier Li Qiang (centre) speaks during the Asean-GCC-China summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

United States

‘Time to decide’: Iran, US finish latest round of nuclear talks in Rome

The talks seek to limit Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the US has imposed on the nation.

24 May 2025 - 6:41AMvideocam

United States

Opinion | With his ‘historic’ tour, Trump puts US power back in the Middle East

In reasserting the US in the centre of the Middle East’s strategic calculus, Trump also weakens the leverage and influence of Russia and China.

23 May 2025 - 5:30AM

Germany

Germany busts group suspected of procuring visas for wealthy Chinese

The network is believed to have helped a large number of Chinese nationals enter and stay in Germany, charging up to US$260,790 per case.

22 May 2025 - 1:27PMvideocam

German and Chinese flags are flown in front of the Federal Chancellery in Berlin in June 2023. Photo: dpa

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong secures visa-free entry to UAE, eased rules for Oman

Chief Executive John Lee is on the last day of his delegation’s ‘fruitful’ tour in which city signed 59 MOUs and agreements with Qatar and Kuwait.

14 May 2025 - 11:19PM

Chief Executive John Lee (fourth from left) at a business luncheon in Kuwait. Photo: Handout

US-Iran tensions

US and Iran conclude 4th round of nuclear talks in Oman

Both sides will continue talks over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme after ‘useful’ round.

12 May 2025 - 12:00PM

Middle East

Iranian nuclear enrichment ‘red line’ for US ahead of new talks

Trump has voiced hope for reaching a deal with Tehran to avert an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear programme that could ignite a wider war.

10 May 2025 - 8:28PM

Middle East

Trump says US to stop Houthi strikes after rebels pledge to end ship attacks

Ceasefire deal between Yemen’s Houthis and the US does not include sparing Israel, the group said.

8 May 2025 - 8:36AM

A US F/A-18 fighter jet takes off from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16. Photo: US Navy via AFP

Middle East

As nuclear talks stall, Trump threatens sanctions on anyone who buys Iran oil

Such a move could escalate tensions with China – Iran’s leading customer – when ties are already strained over tariffs.

2 May 2025 - 1:15PM

An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US mural near the former US embassy in a street in Tehran, Iran, on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE

US-Iran tensions

US Pentagon chief says military ready to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear bomb

Pete Hegseth said Trump hoped to avoid military option ‘but if we have to, we will to prevent the nuclear bomb in Iran’s hands’.

14 Apr 2025 - 8:22AMvideocam

Middle East

US in hurry for nuclear deal, Iran says after high-stakes talks, Trump threats

Iran’s foreign minister briefly spoke face-to-face with the US president’s special envoy, and says discussions will resume next week.

13 Apr 2025 - 3:46PM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW