Donald Trump warned that the United States could “bomb the s***” out of Oman if the Gulf nation continues talks with Iran without Washington’s approval, as a fragile ceasefire with Tehran approaches its deadline.
Oman, a key US defense partner in the Middle East, is engaged in negotiations with Iran over a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by placing the strategic waterway under joint control. The narrow passage is critical to global energy markets, with roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil moving through it.
Trump has previously insisted that Iran must not be allowed to dominate the Strait of Hormuz, including by imposing levies or taxes on US-backed oil tankers moving through the route.
Speaking during a Fox News interview on Monday morning, the President delivered a blunt warning about any Omani effort to proceed without American consent: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s*** out of them.”
The Strait of Hormuz has remained closed since Iran shut it following US and Israeli airstrikes in late February. Its reopening has become one of the central obstacles in ongoing peace talks.
Oman has long played the role of intermediary between the White House and Iran’s leadership, often serving as a trusted channel during periods of heightened tension.
The country helped facilitate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and has been a US defense partner in the Middle East since 1980.
Trump’s threat against a longstanding American ally comes as the 60-day US-Iran ceasefire is due to expire today, intensifying concerns that renewed conflict could destabilize the region and threaten global oil supplies.
Donald Trump threatened to ‘bomb the s***’ out of Oman if it continues negotiations with Iran without American approval as the ceasefire with Tehran nears its expiration
Oman, a major US defense ally in the Middle East, is currently negotiating with Iran over a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by placing the narrow waterway under joint control
Trump’s threats against his own ally come as the 60-day US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire today, raising fears of renewed fighting that could further destabilize the region and disrupt global oil supplies
An oil tanker burns after being hit by an Iranian strike in the ship-to-ship transfer zone at Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq, late Wednesday, March 11
Trump has previously stated that Iran will not be allowed to control the waterway by charging levies or taxes from US-backed oil tankers
Trump’s Monday morning warning to attack Oman is not the first time the president has threatened the US Middle Eastern ally.
Back in May during a cabinet meeting, a reporter asked Trump whether he was comfortable with Oman jointly controlling the strait with Tehran.
‘The strait will be open to everybody,’ Trump said before being asked who would control it. ‘Nobody is going to control it… We will watch over it.’
Trump then turned his attention back to Oman, threatening to attack the country.
‘Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine,’ Trump added.
Oman did not publicly respond to Trump’s threat at the time. However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the following day that Oman’s ambassador had assured him Muscat had no plans to charge vessels for passing through the strait.
Iran has effectively shut down the strait by deploying suicide drones, naval mines and speedboats against US-aligned tankers to gain leverage in negotiations with Trump.
The disruption has sent shockwaves through global oil markets, with crude climbing to $89 a barrel Monday morning and US gas prices reaching $4 a gallon.
Iran has effectively shut down the strait by deploying suicide drones, naval mines and speedboats against US-aligned tankers to gain leverage in negotiations with Trump
Since the war began, 18 US service members have been killed and hundreds more wounded over the last six months
Trump has responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports in an effort to choke off the regime’s trade and force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
Trump’s blockade has yet to produce a breakthrough, with the regime resisting US efforts for months to restart negotiations and accept Washington’s nuclear demands.
The US is demanding that Iran halt uranium enrichment for 20 years, abandon any pursuit of a nuclear weapon and surrender its entire stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran is demanding sanctions relief, access to billions in frozen assets, an end to the US blockade, war reparations and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The fragile ceasefire broke down in July after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the strait. US responded by launching strikes against regime radar systems and missile sites along the Persian gulf.
Iran, in turn, launched ballistic missiles and drones at US-allied Gulf states, including Kuwait, while targeting American military bases across the region.
Since the war began, 18 US service members have been killed and hundreds more wounded over the last six months.
