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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

Members of the Green Party celebrate a win in Bellingham in south London on May 9. Photo: EPA

Britain

Turning over a new leaf: why UK’s green mandate is a win for Asia

The Green Party’s record-breaking gains in UK council elections are a sign voters are taking climate change seriously, analysts say.

15 May 2026 - 2:45PMvideocam

2026 Xi-Trump summit

After Xi-Trump, China tech stocks retreat as market weighs ‘fantastic’ deals

15 May 2026 - 7:18PMvideocam

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Xi-Trump summit day 1: everything you need to know from the meeting in Beijing

15 May 2026 - 7:28AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz crisis tarnishing copper production, raising costs, Chinese analysts say

China Minmetals Economic Research Institute says disruption of sulphur shipments through strait is having ripple effects on copper production.

14 May 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Imported sulphur is unloaded at a port in Nantong, Jiangsu province, in 2018. Photo: Reuters

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Rubio calls on China to play a more ‘active’ role in ending Iran war

The Middle East crisis will come into sharp focus during the Xi-Trump summit as Marco Rubio says it threatens to ‘destabilise Asia’.

14 May 2026 - 2:43PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

UAE denies Israel’s Netanyahu made secret visit during Iran war

Netanyahu’s office claims a ‘historic breakthrough’, but Abu Dhabi dismisses reports of any clandestine meeting.

14 May 2026 - 10:39AM

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Wary mood to mark Xi-Trump summit with irritants aplenty on both sides: analysts

Observers noted the number of recent strategic and trade blows, including the war on Iran, have not derailed the meeting from going ahead.

14 May 2026 - 1:50AMvideocam

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pictured in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Photo: AP

Japan

Oil crunch drains colour from 1 of Japan’s favourite snacks

Calbee says it is using monochrome designs for some of its products, as the Iran war has caused a shortage of naphtha used in packaging.

13 May 2026 - 12:49PMvideocam

South Korea

South Korea cautious on blaming Iran for ship strike ahead of US-China summit

Seoul has footage of the May 4 attack on the HMM Namu but analysts say it is biding its time, hoping ‘the dust will settle’.

12 May 2026 - 2:15PM

2026 Xi-Trump summit

From ‘Taco’ to ‘Nacho’: Wall Street’s new buzzword as Trump preps for China trip

Traders’ catch-cry ‘Not a chance Hormuz opens’ replaces ‘Trump always chickens out’ as grim predictions swirl over gridlock, oil prices.

12 May 2026 - 11:27AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet in Beijing this week. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US tells banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks

Banks are asked to look out for oil labelled ‘Malaysian blend’ to disguise its Iranian origin and missing or falsified shipping documents.

12 May 2026 - 11:04AM

Vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Photo: ISNA via AFP

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Xi-Trump summit: why the Iran war could become fresh point of friction

Both China and the US stand to gain from reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but they view the crisis through different lenses.

9 May 2026 - 5:04PMvideocam

India

India’s military turns to green energy options as Iran war prompts new strategy

The Indian army is looking to green sources for its cooking, vehicles and installations due to surging oil prices.

7 May 2026 - 7:53PM

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

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

Indonesia

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

Captain Ashari Samadikun had sent a chilling warning to his wife before his fuel tanker was hijacked by pirates last month.

6 May 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

An armed Somali pirate along the coastline in northeastern Somalia. Photo: AFP

Asean

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

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

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

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

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Beijing in April 2025. Photo: Xinhua

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

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

A container ship docks at Singapore’s port on April 14. Photo: Xinhua

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

The USS Michael Murphy patrolling the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade in April. Photo: US Navy via AFP

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

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

2026 Xi-Trump 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

China’s UN envoy Fu Cong warns US sanctions on Chinese firms over Iran risk undermining ceasefire efforts and the rule of law in international affairs. Photo: Reuters

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

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz off Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, on March 11. Photo: AP

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

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

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Oman

Turning over a new leaf: why UK’s green mandate is a win for Asia

The Green Party’s record-breaking gains in UK council elections are a sign voters are taking climate change seriously, analysts say.

After Xi-Trump, China tech stocks retreat as market weighs ‘fantastic’ deals

Xi-Trump summit day 1: everything you need to know from the meeting in Beijing

Hormuz crisis tarnishing copper production, raising costs, Chinese analysts say

China Minmetals Economic Research Institute says disruption of sulphur shipments through strait is having ripple effects on copper production.

Rubio calls on China to play a more ‘active’ role in ending Iran war

The Middle East crisis will come into sharp focus during the Xi-Trump summit as Marco Rubio says it threatens to ‘destabilise Asia’.

UAE denies Israel’s Netanyahu made secret visit during Iran war

Netanyahu’s office claims a ‘historic breakthrough’, but Abu Dhabi dismisses reports of any clandestine meeting.

Wary mood to mark Xi-Trump summit with irritants aplenty on both sides: analysts

Observers noted the number of recent strategic and trade blows, including the war on Iran, have not derailed the meeting from going ahead.

Oil crunch drains colour from 1 of Japan’s favourite snacks

Calbee says it is using monochrome designs for some of its products, as the Iran war has caused a shortage of naphtha used in packaging.

South Korea cautious on blaming Iran for ship strike ahead of US-China summit

Seoul has footage of the May 4 attack on the HMM Namu but analysts say it is biding its time, hoping ‘the dust will settle’.

From ‘Taco’ to ‘Nacho’: Wall Street’s new buzzword as Trump preps for China trip

Traders’ catch-cry ‘Not a chance Hormuz opens’ replaces ‘Trump always chickens out’ as grim predictions swirl over gridlock, oil prices.

US tells banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks

Banks are asked to look out for oil labelled ‘Malaysian blend’ to disguise its Iranian origin and missing or falsified shipping documents.

Xi-Trump summit: why the Iran war could become fresh point of friction

Both China and the US stand to gain from reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but they view the crisis through different lenses.

India’s military turns to green energy options as Iran war prompts new strategy

The Indian army is looking to green sources for its cooking, vehicles and installations due to surging oil prices.

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

Captain Ashari Samadikun had sent a chilling warning to his wife before his fuel tanker was hijacked by pirates last month.

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

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

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.

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