US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Oman if the country obstructs Washington’s efforts to reach an agreement with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the threat during an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, while discussing separate negotiations involving Iran and Oman over the strategic waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst.
Iran and Oman have reportedly been holding discussions on future arrangements for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran’s foreign ministry saying on Monday that both countries were working towards a joint declaration.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the strategically important waterway is effectively under US control, despite shipping traffic remaining severely restricted. Tehran, which has effectively blocked the strait since the start of the Middle East conflict on February 28, has rejected Washington’s position.
On Friday, Trump suggested that he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, prompting Iran to insist that the waterway “will remain Iranian.”
Before the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an international waterway and served as a major route for global energy and commodity shipments.
Iran has used its control over the strait as leverage in its confrontation with the United States, amid efforts by Washington and its allies to weaken Tehran’s military capabilities and pressure it over its nuclear programme.
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Iran borders the northern side of the strait, while Oman lies along its southern side.
Trump also called on Iran to surrender, saying the country should “put up the white flag of surrender,” according to Yingst’s account of the interview shared on X.
Despite the continuing conflict and pressure to reach an agreement, Trump said he was not rushing negotiations. His comments come ahead of the US midterm elections, with Democrats seeking to regain control of Congress from Trump’s Republican Party.
Trump also claimed that his administration maintains a secret channel of communication with members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” he said, according to Yingst.