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Oman

July 11, 2026

Muscat 10:02 pm

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Oil tankers and cargo vessels are anchored off the coast of Oman after being stranded for days as congestion at Port Sultan Qaboos has prevented them from docking on June 23, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reo

Oil prices ease as OPEC+ increases production, Hormuz traffic rebounds

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.15% to $71.87 a barrel as of 8:07 a.m. EDT after dropping as low as $71.09 earlier in the session, its lowest level since before the US-Israel-Iran war began on Feb. 28.

Latest News

Oman's sultan meets Macron in first France visit since 1989: What to know

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik pose during a meeting with business leaders in Paris on June 29, 2026.

Traffic plummets through Strait of Hormuz after Iran, US trade fire

AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Gulf states push incentives for investors, expats after war dents image

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Iran’s IRGC warns against using 'highly dangerous' Hormuz route: What to know

Hamed Malekpour / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Karen Young

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

Interview

Qatar says divisions within GCC have become ‘lose-lose’ situation for the region

Qatari spokesperson says the split among the Gulf states compromises the security of the region and that thousands of families are already paying a price.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit (L) with Palestinian National Authority Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al Maliki are seen after a meeting with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo, Egypt December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany - RC170C9BBE90

Abbas making rounds to drum up financial support

Steeped in debt, the Palestinian Authority is doggedly pursuing Arab support, among other options.

Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi attends the Arab Foreign meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser - RC1CBB702600

Russia eyes Oman as mediator for regional crises

Moscow praises Muscat's stance on regional issues, and seeks to boost its mediation profile.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ekaterina Zaharieva, Bulgaria's deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs pose for family photo at the Middle East conference at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, February 13, 2019. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel - RC15EF32E9B0

Veteran peace hands see growing Israeli-Arab alignment in Warsaw

While the Palestinians boycotted the meeting in Poland, a number of Arab delegates showed an interest in engaging with US plans for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Security guards stand in front of the United Arab Emirates embassy during its reopening in Damascus, Syria December 27, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RC1F43BEB420

Gulf states slowly warm to Damascus

Gulf states are turning their backs on supporting armed groups in Syria and preparing to re-engage the government in Damascus.

Netanyahu’s Golan statement ignores new Syria reality

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu partnering with the far-right and proclaiming sovereignty over the Golan Heights is more important than aspiring to regional alliances with Muslim and Arab countries.

United Arab Emirates

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Leaders are seen ahead of their Summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 9, 2018. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1A2BB78CC0

What will 2019 have in store for dysfunctional GCC?

The Gulf Cooperation has essentially been split in, with Qatar, Kuwait and Oman resisting the actions of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed.

Why is Israel forging secret ties with Sudan?

Hamas condemns the current normalization of ties between several Arab countries and Israel, at a time the Israeli media is talking about efforts to stop arms reaching the Gaza Strip through Libya and Sudan.

United Arab Emirates

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Czech President Milos Zeman attend the inauguration of the "Czech House" in Jerusalem November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC12B86811C0

Netanyahu’s diplomacy: buying friends by selling weapons

Rather than basing its global standing on the principles of equality and justice, Israel exports cyber weaponry to tyrannical, racist rulers.

Why Iran is also a strategic asset for Israel

A significant number of Arab and Muslim leaders in the Middle East and the world fear Iran. For them, Israel is the only real answer to the Iranian threat and the only country able to confront it.

Iran turns to pragmatism as Israel woos Oman

While Iran is unlikely to have been happy about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Oman, it has tried to remain pragmatic in order to prevent tensions with a longstanding Arab friend.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron hold hands at a news conference after a Syria summit, in Istanbul, Turkey October 27, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC16134E6CB0

Putin pivots to Europe for next play on Syria

Russian president intensifies diplomatic push; Erdogan goes "big" to leverage the Khashoggi murder with the Trump administration; Oman emerges as Israeli-Palestinian broker.