US President Donald Trump has threatened Oman over its separate negotiations with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that Washington could take military action if the Gulf nation interferes with US efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran.
According to Fox News, Trump made the threat during a phone interview, saying the United States would bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of his administration’s negotiations with Iran.
The remarks came as Oman continued to play a key role in diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.
The Strait has remained largely closed for nearly six months amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, disrupting international shipping and raising concerns over global energy supplies.
Oman, which borders the southern side of the Strait, has maintained a neutral position in the conflict and has been involved in negotiations with Tehran over the reopening of the waterway. The country has also suffered several attacks linked to the wider conflict.
Trump’s warning came shortly after Iranian officials announced that Tehran and Oman had reached an understanding on a route that would allow ships to transit through the Strait.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said an agreement had been reached on the “map of the transit route”, adding that the two sides would finalize the remaining details before issuing a joint statement. Earlier, Oman had described its discussions with Iran as positive.
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However, the US and Iran have pursued separate diplomatic efforts over the reopening of the Strait, with Washington seeking its own agreement with Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously said that a full reopening of the waterway would depend on Iran receiving compensation from the United States for what Tehran described as violations of the existing Memorandum of Understanding.
Reuters, citing an Iranian official, also reported that Tehran was seeking fees of between five and seven per cent of the value of cargoes carried by vessels using the Strait.
During his interview with Fox News, Trump also claimed that Washington maintained a direct backchannel with officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC.
An IRGC spokesman rejected the claim, saying there were no talks between the organization’s officials and the United States.
The latest development comes as a 60-day US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, signed on June 18, approaches its formal expiry.
The agreement was intended to facilitate a ceasefire between the two countries and help secure at least a partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the arrangement broke down after the two sides resumed military strikes.
Trump later declared the ceasefire over and intensified his criticism of Iran’s leadership. Despite the uncertainty surrounding negotiations, Trump said he was not in a hurry to end the conflict, describing Iran as a difficult negotiating opponent while insisting that the United States would continue to pursue its objectives.
As the MoU nears expiry, Trump has reiterated that Washington’s primary objective remains preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
The dispute over Oman’s mediation efforts adds another layer of tension to the already fragile US-Iran negotiations and could further complicate international efforts to secure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
BBC
