US President Donald Trump has reportedly threatened to bomb Oman if the Gulf nation “gets in the way” of Washington’s efforts to negotiate with Iran, according to Fox News.
The United States and Oman have been conducting separate negotiations with Tehran over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
The strait has remained largely closed for nearly six months amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, making its reopening a key priority in diplomatic efforts.
Fox reporter Trey Yingst said Trump made the threat during a phone interview, quoting the US president as saying: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.”
It remains unclear what actions Trump would consider to be interference with Washington’s efforts to secure an agreement with Iran.
The reported threat came just hours after Iranian officials said Tehran and Oman were close to finalising an agreement allowing ships to resume travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said an understanding had been reached on the route that vessels would use to transit the waterway, with both sides expected to finalise the remaining details before issuing a joint statement.
Oman, which borders the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz, has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict. Despite this position, the country has been hit by several strikes from Iran and has emerged as an important intermediary in efforts to reopen the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, the future of separate US-Iran negotiations remains uncertain as a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides approaches its expiry.
Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Monday that Washington was not seeking an extension of the agreement.
The MoU, signed on June 18, was intended to establish a ceasefire and facilitate at least a partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the arrangement subsequently collapsed after fighting resumed between the two sides.
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the complete reopening of the waterway would depend on Iran receiving compensation from the United States for what Tehran described as violations of the agreement.
Reuters, citing an Iranian official, previously reported that Tehran was seeking fees equivalent to between 5% and 7% of the value of cargoes carried by vessels using the Strait.
During the same interview with Fox News, Trump also claimed that Washington maintained a direct backchannel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful military and political organisation.
An IRGC spokesman rejected the claim, saying there were no discussions between IRGC officials and US representatives and accusing Trump of making the allegation due to the setbacks suffered during the conflict.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding negotiations, Trump said he was in no rush to end the war.
“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” he was quoted as saying, adding that he had “no time schedule” and was “not in a hurry” to conclude the conflict.
Trump also reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained Washington’s primary objective, stating on Truth Social that this would “always” be the number one goal of his administration.
