Muscat remains Oman’s political and economic heart, with a long history as a regional trading power and gateway to the Gulf.
Iranian airlines are facing a global clampdown as the U.S. expands secondary sanctions to freeze access to the dollar system for entities aiding Iran’s aviation. Countries are restricting Iranian flights, with UAE, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Turkey among those implementing or considering bans. Iran warns that airports in cooperating states could be rendered unable to operate.
Vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz have picked up, with traffic slowly returning after a recent slowdown tied to US-Iran exchanges of strikes. Iran and Oman are managing separate corridors, while the wider tension between Washington and Tehran remains, and the pre-war level of navigation has not yet returned.
The Strait of Hormuz could see a formal system to charge ships for passage as countries near the waterway explore governance changes after a war that disrupted oil flows. Oman is signaling flexibility on fees while stressing any scheme will align with international law, and Washington remains opposed to tolls.
Iran has signaled it may charge service fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz after a 60-day period during which transit was free under a US‑Iran deal. Iran says the fees will support security and environmental safeguards and will consider special treatment for friendly nations; negotiations on a permanent settlement are ongoing. Oman is involved in a joint committee to manage the Strait.
Oman is navigating a delicate path between Iran and the United States as talks over tolls on the Strait of Hormuz continue. Analysts say any fee regime would operate within legal limits, but the idea risks provoking regional pushback while maintaining critical shipping routes for a market dependent on energy flows.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint as US strikes and Iranian responses escalate. Iran has closed the strait, while the US reimposes a blockade and hits multiple targets. Attacks on commercial vessels have continued, driving up global energy costs and threatening negotiations under the ongoing ceasefire.
The US president has warned Iran of decimation if it acts on threats to target him, while tensions spike over the Strait of Hormuz. Mediators are pressing for renewed talks as both sides escalate rhetoric amid a fragile truce and international mediation efforts.
The United States has intensified strikes against Iran to degrade its ability to threaten civilian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with missiles and drones against Gulf states and threats to close the strait. The interim US-Iran truce appears increasingly fragile as both sides escalate.
The Iraqi prime minister-designate has arrived in Washington as Washington pressures Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed militias and curb corruption. The visit centers on expanding economic ties, attracting investment, and reinforcing state control, amid Tehran’s influence and security challenges.
The United Arab Emirates is pursuing a new port and container terminal on Fujairah’s east coast to reduce dependence on Jebel Ali and avoid the Strait of Hormuz. DP World is in talks to develop the site, with plans for a new multipurpose port and a terminal at the existing harbour, amid ongoing clashes linked to Iran’s attacks and U.S. and Israeli actions. Experts say the move signals a push for regional resilience as shipping routes face disruption.
Oil prices have risen this week after U.S. officials narrowed a waiver to the Jones Act for energy shipments and data showed U.S. crude stocks have fallen to multi-decade lows. Traders are parsing mixed statements from Washington and Tehran about talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while reparations demands have emerged, keeping markets volatile on 11 Aug 2026.
LIV Golf is confronting a funding shortfall after the Saudi Public Investment Fund withdraws backing at year-end. The league is seeking about $260 million, with Indianapolis likely to host upcoming events and Michigan deemed unlikely. Investors’ decisions will shape LIV’s 2027 viability.
Ukraine has carried out long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea that hit vessels Kyiv says were carrying Iranian-linked military cargo to Russia. Iran has summoned Ukraine’s diplomat, said one sailor was killed and another wounded, and warned retaliation; Ukraine’s foreign ministry has denied intent to target civilians and called Iran’s threats unjustified.
The United States has paused nightly airstrikes on Iran and Tehran has halted retaliatory attacks for at least two days while mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman exchange messages. Advisers warned President Donald Trump that continued strikes risked depleting munitions and running out of targets; oil prices have fallen as markets price the lull.
Iran has ruled out Oman’s 50-50 regional management for the Strait of Hormuz, insisting on control of its side and opposition to a wide sharing arrangement. Oman proposed a Malacca-style model with voluntary fees to stabilize shipping after disruptions from the US-Israeli war. Officials say talks are progressing step by step, but hardliners remain skeptical about concessions.
The movements of personnel and equipment between Harir Air Base, Erbil, and the US consulate are described as preparation for the withdrawal of remaining US troops under the 2024 agreement. Washington and Baghdad have framed the shift as a routine repositioning and a step toward ending the mission by September.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has ground toward a halt this weekend as a 60‑day ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has reached its expiry and negotiations remain stalled. Kpler data shows single‑digit daily transits; Iran has repeated demands that the U.S. lift its naval blockade, remove sanctions and pay reparations, while the U.S. says it can maintain the blockade indefinitely and is planning further economic pressure.
Iran and Oman are moving toward a joint, temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran says the arrangement is near finalisation but does not guarantee a full reopening of the strait. U.S. officials anticipate a broader peace framework is still necessary, and regional actors warn that security remains tied to American policy and broader ceasefire talks. Oil markets respond with volatility as talks continue.
The 60-day window for a comprehensive Iran-US peace deal has expired. Talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain unsettled as both sides accuse the other of violations. Trump has publicly claimed a backchannel with Iran’s IRGC, while Iran and Oman pursue a route to restore shipping lanes.
The latest sanctions have intensified economic pressure on Tehran as a U.S.-led effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz stalls. Tehran says it will respond with intensified measures while Washington maintains its economic campaign.
Iran and Oman have held talks to establish a temporary navigation corridor and a joint mine‑clearance project in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials are claiming revenue‑sharing and control details; Oman's statement calls the framework "proposed" and technical talks are continuing. The strait remains effectively closed until broader political conditions are met.
Qatar has pressed for unimpeded Hormuz shipping and is coordinating with China as regional diplomacy intensifies. Doha says reopening the Strait must be unconditional, while mediation efforts continue amid stalled US-Iran talks and renewed attacks.
The Iran‑aligned Houthis have seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast, taken Mayyun and the Hanish islands and captured Mocha. Government‑aligned forces, backed by Saudi air strikes, have counterattacked around Taiz and the Kahboub mountains. The offensive has killed hundreds, displaced tens of thousands and pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel.
Gulf states and Iran have been negotiating a temporary shipping framework for the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing war-related disruptions. Oman and Iran are coordinating on routes while Bahrain has declined participation. Oil-price volatility remains as markets watch for a regional security framework to emerge.
Trump has reiterated that the Iran war should end this year and links the outcome to oil policy, saying the U.S. could stay and keep the oil like Venezuela if negotiations stall. He also notes that gasoline prices would drop once the conflict ends, as diplomacy stalls over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon inspector general has reported that Operation Epic Fury has cost $33.4 billion from 28 February to 30 June, including $22.3 billion on expended munitions. The report has found strategic inventory shortfalls, industrial bottlenecks for resupply, and millions in damage to aircraft, drones and diplomatic facilities.
Houthi forces have seized large stretches of Yemen's Red Sea coast and islands, tightened control over the Bab al‑Mandeb shipping lane and have launched missiles, drones and ballistic rounds at Saudi cities including Riyadh and Yanbu. Saudi air defences have said they have intercepted strikes; residents have reported explosions and smoke. The advance has disrupted shipping and pushed global energy markets higher.
President Trump has said he faces a "big decision" about whether to "annihilate" the Iranian regime, telling interviews he will use a planned meeting with six Gulf leaders at the UN General Assembly to decide the next phase of the war. The US has kept a naval blockade on Iran, tightened sanctions and is weighing whether to resume large-scale combat operations.
Iraq has ordered its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad airport starting today, amid U.S. threats of secondary sanctions on Iranian carriers. The move could re-route flights to Najaf and affect travel for Iranian travelers.