US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if the US ally “gets in the way” of Washington’s efforts to negotiate with Iran over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump reportedly made the threat during a phone interview with Fox News, saying: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.” The remarks came hours after Iran announced that it had reached an understanding with Oman on a transit route through the strategic waterway.
Oman, which borders the southern side of the Strait, has maintained a neutral position in the US-Iran conflict and has emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the two countries had agreed on a map for the transit route, with details expected to be finalised before a joint statement.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, has remained largely closed for nearly six months following the escalation of the US-Iran conflict. Washington has been separately negotiating with Tehran to secure its reopening, while Iran has demanded compensation from the US over what it describes as violations of a previous memorandum of understanding.
Trump also claimed during the Fox interview that Washington maintained a direct backchannel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The claim was rejected by an IRGC spokesman, who described it as a “lie” and said there were no talks between IRGC officials and the Americans. Trump, meanwhile, said he was in no hurry to end the conflict, insisting that his priority remained preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
