Iran’s top security official met the Sultan of Oman in Muscat Tuesday, days after a first round of talks there between officials from Washington and Tehran last Friday. Ali Larijani, who heads the Supreme National Security Council, and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq “discussed the latest developments in the Iranian-American negotiations”, the official Oman News Agency said. Larijani also met Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who mediated Friday’s indirect talks between US and Iranian officials, according to photos shared on Larijani’s official Telegram channel. Larijani and Sultan Haitham also explored “ways to reach a balanced and just agreement between the two sides, and emphasised the importance of returning to the table of dialogue and negotiation”. While in Muscat, Larijani warned against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervening in the talks, according to a post on X. He urged the US to “remain alert” to what he described as Israel’s destructive role ahead of Netanyahu’s trip to Washington, it said. During his trip to Muscat, Larijani also met Mohammed Abdulsalam, the spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi fighters. Larijani will head to Qatar next, according to Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei. The trip comes after Iran and the US resumed negotiations in Oman on Friday for the first time since the 12-day Iran-Israel war last June, which was briefly joined by the US military.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met at his office in the Amiri Diwan Wednesday with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani as he visited the country. They discussed co-operation between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen it, in addition to discussing developments in the region and efforts to reduce tensions and enhance regional security as well as a number of regional and international issues of common concern. **media[415641]**The meeting was attended by His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, His Excellency Chief of the Amiri Diwan Abdullah bin Mohammed al Khulaifi, and a number of senior officials. From the Iranian side, it was attended by Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri, Assistant Foreign Minister Alibek, and a number of senior officials.

SilTest Semiconductors, a Germany-based deep-tech firm specialising in AI (artificial intelligence)-driven semiconductor testing and automation, is establishing operations in Qatar, where it also plans to establish an academy to nurture local talent.The move marks a major step in the company’s global expansion and its entry into the Middle East. The company, which will be based in Qatar Science and Technology Park, will expand its work on advanced semiconductor test solutions, supporting customers and partners across the wider Middle East and North Africa region, Europe, Asia, and North America.The decision follows a visit to Doha earlier in 2025 and direct engagement with Qatar’s innovation and investment ecosystem."After spending time in Doha and seeing the ecosystem firsthand, it became clear that this is the right place to build something lasting," according to Samir Saran, founder and managing director of SilTest Semiconductors.With the support of Invest Qatar, the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), and the German Industry and Commerce Office Qatar, SilTest is making a long-term investment in talent, technology, and knowledge transfer.The company has worked closely with these institutions to navigate market entry, establish its local presence, and connect with the broader business and innovation ecosystem.A key pillar of the company’s regional strategy is SilTest Academy, it’s training and capability-building initiative designed to help develop a workforce ready for the semiconductor industry."Beyond serving customers, our goal is to contribute to ecosystem development,” Saran said, adding "we believe that building local capabilities – engineering talent, operational know-how, and applied expertise – will be essential for attracting further semiconductor investment into the region.”SilTest Academy is its internal training hub, designed to teach engineers the skills the industry actually uses and its courses blend theory, application, and hands-on labs using actual ATE (automated test equipment) systems, not simulations. For university students and recent graduates, its courses provide real lab exposure and industry-aligned knowledge."Qatar stood out for its long-term vision and commitment to building real industrial and technological capabilities,” according to Saran.SilTest develops AI-powered platforms that improve productivity, yield, and quality in semiconductor product development and manufacturing.Its technologies address a critical and often under-served part of the semiconductor value chain: testing, qualification, and production optimisation –areas that are becoming increasingly strategic as global supply chains evolve.SilTest’s expansion into Qatar aligns with the country’s broader ambition to diversify its economy and strengthen its position in advanced, knowledge-based industries.The company plans to work closely with regional partners, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders as it grows its presence.“This is about building critical infrastructure for a more resilient global semiconductor ecosystem and doing it from a region that is actively shaping what comes next,” according to him.SilTest Semiconductors' platforms help semiconductor companies accelerate time-to-yield, reduce manual effort and errors, and scale engineering productivity across product development and manufacturing. SilTest works with customers across Europe and Asia and is expanding globally.The Qatar semiconductor market is forecasted to achieve $8.6bn revenue by 2032, projecting a 17% compound annual growth rate between 2024 and 2032, according to DataCube Research."With a strong focus on Semiconductors, Qatar aims to position itself as a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain by fostering international collaborations and investing in advanced manufacturing capabilities," it said.Qatar's efforts to strengthen its semiconductor industry align with its broader economic diversification strategy and Vision 2030 initiative.By investing in Adrian Semiconductor and partnering with Turkiye for semiconductor manufacturing, Qatar is positioning itself to meet growing global demand for semiconductors, which is expected to double over the next decade, it had said.2024 saw the partnership between Qatar’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) to establish a chip investment project, where the machinery and equipment needed for the production line will be provided by HBKU.