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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

Emirates planes are seen parked at Dubai International Airport amid widespread flight cancellations. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong society

Hongkongers stuck in Dubai face travel chaos amid US-Israel war on Iran

Repeated flight cancellations, rising hotel costs and shrinking mobile data add to travellers’ distress in Dubai as they await help from Hong Kong government.

2 hours ago

US, Israel war on Iran

Maritime mayhem: shipping firms halt Gulf routes amid regional military strikes

2 hours agovideocam

China trade

Not just oil: Iran war disrupts China’s imports of key industrial material

3 Mar 2026 - 11:36PMvideocam

Hong Kong society

What Hong Kong travellers stuck in the Middle East need to do as war spirals

At least 432 residents are stranded in region as dozens of flights between city and Middle East are disrupted by conflict.

3 Mar 2026 - 6:22PM

A plume of smoke from an Iranian strike rises behind planes parked at Dubai International Airport on Sunday, March 1. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Gulf states take the fight to Iran as missiles target oil, gas and trade

The UAE, Qatar and others had a plan for staying out of a US-Iran war. It relied on the assumption that Iran would leave them out of it too.

3 Mar 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

Hong Kong society

‘We want to go home’: Hongkongers trapped in Mideast call for more official help

‘We hope the Hong Kong government can care more about Hongkongers stranded in Dubai, not just provide an emergency contact number,’ one person says.

3 Mar 2026 - 10:58PM

US, Israel war on Iran

CIA ‘tracked Iranian leaders for months’ ahead of first attacks

Official says that a variety of factors created a golden opportunity to take out much of Iran’s leadership.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:42PMvideocam

A satellite image of a destroyed residence complex belonging to slain Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Photo: Vantor via Reuters

Iran

Iran ‘internationalises battlefield’ as missiles put Gulf in firing line

Iranian strikes targeting American allies in the Middle East could bolster Arab rulers’ support for US-Israeli military operation.

1 Mar 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

Middle East

Burgers, then war: Trump’s bluffs before Iran strikes

The US president gave mixed signals about whether the attack was coming, but his weekend Mar-a-Lago trip may have been the big giveaway.

1 Mar 2026 - 6:55AMvideocam

United States

‘No chance’: Vance dismisses prolonged Mideast war fears as Iran tensions rage

The US vice-president said Trump’s options range from military strikes ‘to ensure Iran isn’t going to get a nuclear weapon’ to dialogue.

27 Feb 2026 - 6:04PM

A man walks past a mural depicting a damaged Statue of Liberty in Tehran on Thursday. Photo: WANA via Reuters

Middle East

US and Iran wrap up talks without a deal as war risks persist

Oman’s mediator cites ‘significant progress’ in Geneva, but a massive US naval build-up keeps the Middle East on edge.

27 Feb 2026 - 4:24PM

An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US billboard in Tehran. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Russia

Iran in secret deal with Russia for shoulder-fired missiles: report

Report of a deal for 2,500 advanced anti-aircraft missiles emerges as the US weighs military action against Iran.

23 Feb 2026 - 10:26AM

Middle East

US ambassador says Israel has right to much of Middle East, sparking uproar

Mike Huckabee’s comments were condemned by Arab and Muslim nations as ‘extremist rhetoric’.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:19AM

Middle East

Trump weighs limited strike on Iran, as Tehran says draft deal coming soon

The US president has warned that ‘bad things’ will happen if an agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear programme is not reached soon.

21 Feb 2026 - 7:58PMvideocam

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is seen from Gibraltar on Friday. Photo: Instagram/dparody via Reuters

Iran

Iran fires missiles, Khamenei threatens to sink US warship amid nuclear talks

As the talks began, local media announced that Iran had fired live missiles towards the Strait of Hormuz.

17 Feb 2026 - 10:54PMvideocam

Iran’s supreme eader Ali Khamenei waves during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/Reuters

US-Iran tensions

Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva for second round of talks with US

Talks will centre on Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, as the US deploys a second aircraft carrier to the region.

16 Feb 2026 - 2:42PM

Middle East

US-Iran talks to be held in Geneva next week, hosted by Oman

The son of Iran’s last shah called for US action, as Trump sends a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.

15 Feb 2026 - 6:22AM

Middle East

UAE-Saudi rift over security threats push Arab mediators to act

Bahrain and Egypt are attempting to mend ties between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, after a public falling out in December.

14 Feb 2026 - 9:22PM

Demonstrators step on pictures of UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a protest against the UAE’s support for the RSF in Sudan, on the day of the two-year anniversary of the conflict, on April 15 last year. Photo: Reuters

US-Iran tensions

The US dropped proposal of Iran regime change. Could a nuclear deal be next?

Both sides appear amenable to a deal limiting some of Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities after last week’s diplomatic re-establishment.

12 Feb 2026 - 5:16PMvideocam

Middle East

Iran’s revolution anniversary marred by protests, nuclear tensions

Iran’s 47th Revolution anniversary sees pro-regime rallies amid public anger over crackdowns and heightened US nuclear tensions.

11 Feb 2026 - 7:30PMvideocam

Middle East

In message to Iran, Trump weighs sending second aircraft carrier to Middle East

The US president warned that the US would have to do ‘something very tough’ if a deal was not reached.

11 Feb 2026 - 1:40PM

An F/A-18F Super Hornet preparing to launch from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian. Photo: US Navy via AFP

Iran

Iran sentences Nobel laureate to 7 more years amid stand-off with US

As Iran extends the jail term for Narges Mohammadi, its foreign minister strikes a maximalist position after US talks.

9 Feb 2026 - 4:08PM

A mural with a picture of Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Middle East

Iran defies Trump and US pressure over uranium enrichment

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insists Iran won’t yield on enrichment, calling resilience – not weapons – its ‘atomic bomb’ despite US threats.

8 Feb 2026 - 6:51PMvideocam

India

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

10 Feb 2026 - 8:54PM

Iran

Oman mediates Iran-US nuclear talks amid tensions and Trump’s threats

The meeting is the first between the two sides since Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in June with strikes on nuclear sites.

6 Feb 2026 - 10:42PMvideocam

Officials stand inside the gate of a palace where Iran and the US held their talks in Muscat, Oman, on Friday. Photo: AP

US-Iran tensions

Ahead of talks, Iran deploys ballistic missile at underground ‘missile city’

Tehran signals offensive readiness as negotiators arrive in Oman for high-stakes talks.

6 Feb 2026 - 10:38AM

Iranian missiles displayed in a park in Tehran. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Middle East

Trump says Iran leaders should be ‘very worried’ as talks near

Negotiations will take place in Oman, but there is disagreement over whether Tehran’s missile programme will be discussed.

5 Feb 2026 - 9:58AM

Iran

US-Iran nuclear talks set for Oman amid rising Middle East tensions

Planned talks moving from Turkey after a US jet downs an Iranian drone, though the role of regional Arab allies remains in limbo.

4 Feb 2026 - 10:11PM

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