Oman's Sultan to Visit UK for State Visit Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions
Oman's Sultan Haitham will make a three-day state visit to the UK next month, hosted by King Charles III, as the Gulf nation navigates pressure from the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, will undertake a three-day state visit to Britain next month, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday. King Charles III and Queen Camilla will host the Sultan at Windsor Castle from October 20 to 22. Specific details of the visit have not yet been released.
State visits to the UK are elaborate affairs, typically featuring a horse-drawn carriage procession, a ceremonial troop review, and a grand state banquet hosted by the monarch. They also include bilateral meetings with senior government officials. While the King formally issues the invitation, such visits are arranged at the request of the elected government and are usually planned months in advance.
The announcement comes at a sensitive time for Oman, which controls the southern shore of the Strait of Hormuz—a vital waterway through which a significant portion of the world's oil and gas flows. The sultanate has faced pressure from both the United States and Iran. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman as it appeared close to reaching a deal with Iran regarding ship traffic through the strait.
Sultan Haitham, who was educated at Oxford, previously met King Charles for tea at Windsor Castle during a private visit to Britain last year. The last state visit by an Omani sultan was in March 1982, when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Sultan Qaboos bin Said.