Oman | Astute News

Gulf Sands Shift as Anchors of Regional Security Loosen

June 6, 2020 Opinion

Rejiggering security arrangements in the Gulf may be a more pressing issue than meets the eye. That is not good news for the Gulf states. It is also bad news for China, which could see the rug pulled …

In Oman the Old Monarch Passed Away, but the New One Will Guarantee Continuity

February 11, 2020 Opinion

The Sultan of Oman – Qaboos bin Said Al Said – passed away at the age of 79. He was the longest serving monarch in the Gulf. Within 24 hours, an envelope with his will got opened, and the new ruler wa…

On Whose Orders Did Oman’s Foreign Minister Visit Syria?

July 13, 2019 Opinion

The Omani Foreign Minister’s surprise visit to Syria strongly suggests that the Arab League’s de-facto “normalization” of relations with Syria is presently underway, but it also hints that something b…

Trump’s Middle East ‘Deal of the Century’ and his ‘Kosher Quartet’

June 12, 2019 Opinion

The June 25-26, 2019 “peace conference” scheduled for Manama, Bahrain and attended by the United States, Israel, a few Palestinian quislings, and sell-out Arab states is nothing more than a rubber sta…

The US’ Omani Base Deal Aims to Cut Off S-CPEC+’s Sea Lines of Communication

April 2, 2019 Opinion

The American Embassy in Oman announced that the US clinched a deal to use the Mideast country’s air and naval facilities in the strategic ports of Duqm and Salalah, which the Mainstream and Alternativ…

UK’s New Omani Base Is Part of Its Post-Brexit Pivot to the Indian Ocean

November 14, 2018 Opinion

The UK plans to open up its second Mideast base in Oman. The British Defense Secretary announced these plans earlier this week during a visit to the Arab monarchy to observe the ongoing war games that…

The Arabian Game of Thrones Heats Up

October 17, 2018 Opinion

The reported torture, murder, and dismemberment of Washington-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate-general in Istanbul reminded the world that an intense power play is now tak…

The New Silk Roads Are Just Pieces in a Giant Puzzle

August 30, 2018 Opinion

The New Silk Roads, formerly One Belt One Road, then Belt and Road Initiative, were launched almost five years ago by President Xi Jinping, first in Astana (the Silk Road Economic Belt) and then in Ja…