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President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman – a US ally – if it « gets in the way » of his administration’s own talks with Iran, Fox News reports.
The US and Oman have been negotiating separately with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that is vital to the global economy. It has been largely closed for nearly six months during the US-Iran war.
A reporter for Fox said the US president made the threat to Oman while using an expletive during a phone interview.
Earlier in the day, Iranian officials said they were close to finalising a deal with Oman. Meanwhile, the future of talks between the US and Iran is unclear as a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides is expiring.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes. Reopening it has been a key point of discussion.
Oman borders the southern side of the Strait and says it is a neutral country in this conflict. However it has suffered a number of strikes from Iran and is now playing a key role in negotiating with Tehran to reopen the waterway.
Washington has pursued its own efforts to secure the reopening. Fox reporter Trey Yingst quoted Trump as saying: « If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them. »
During the same interview with Fox, Trump also said the US had a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is a major military, economic and political force in Iran.
An IRGC spokesman denied Trump’s claim.
A spokesman told semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim News: « There are no talks taking place between IRGC officials and the Americans, and this lie by Trump is merely fantasies caused by the delusions and nightmares he has suffered as a result of defeat and desperation in the war. »
Trump made his threat to Oman a few hours after Iran had said the two countries had reached an agreement for ships to travel through the Strait.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters « an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route ».
He added that both sides would finalise the details before issuing a joint statement. Oman has previously described these talks as positive.
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a full reopening was dependant on Iran receiving compensation from the US for what Tehran described as violations of the MoU.
Reuters – citing an Iranian official – previously reported that Tehran was seeking fees of between 5% and 7% of the price of cargoes from vessels who travel through the Strait.
While Trump said in his call with Fox that he had a direct backchannel with the IRGC, he said he was in no hurry to bring the war to a close.
« They’re good poker players, but they’re dying, » he was quoted as saying. « I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry. »
The Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran, signed on 18 June, was designed to bring about a ceasefire and at least partly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But it fell apart a short time later when both sides resumed strikes.
On 8 July, Trump said the ceasefire was « over » and blasted Iran’s leadership as « scum » and « cuckoo » after fresh exchanges of fire.
As the MoU neared its formal expiry on Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social network: « The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon. »
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