President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to longtime U.S. ally Oman on Monday, threatening military action if the Gulf nation interferes with American interests while negotiating with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with Fox News while discussing Oman’s negotiations with Tehran over an arrangement involving shipping through the strategically important waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s*** out of them,” Trump said.
The threat represents an extraordinary warning toward Oman, a US defense partner that has also historically served as a diplomatic intermediary between Washington and Tehran.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major point of contention amid heightened tensions with Iran. The narrow waterway is one of the world’s most important energy routes, carrying a significant portion of global oil shipments.
Trump has insisted that Iran will not be permitted to dictate the terms under which ships travel through the strait or impose new fees on US-backed vessels.
Monday’s comments were not the first time the president has threatened Oman over the issue.
Earlier this year, Trump was asked whether he would accept an agreement between Iran and Oman concerning control of the waterway.
“The strait will be open to everybody,” Trump said at the time. “Nobody is going to control it… We will watch over it.”
He then delivered a warning directly to Muscat.
“Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine,” Trump said.
Oman did not publicly respond to that threat.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent subsequently said Oman’s ambassador had assured him that the country did not intend to charge ships for traveling through the strait.
The dispute places Oman in a difficult position as tensions between the US and Iran continue.
Muscat has long maintained diplomatic relations with both sides and played an important intermediary role in negotiations that ultimately contributed to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
The Trump administration, however, has taken an increasingly hard line toward Tehran and has sought to prevent Iran from gaining greater leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has used the waterway as a bargaining point in its negotiations with Washington, while the US has responded with military and economic pressure.
The Trump administration has demanded that Tehran halt uranium enrichment for an extended period, give up any pursuit of a nuclear weapon and surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium, per Trending Politics.
Iran, meanwhile, has sought sanctions relief, access to frozen assets, an end to US military pressure and greater control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The confrontation has also reverberated through global energy markets, with oil prices rising amid concerns that additional disruptions could threaten shipments through the critical passage.
Trump’s latest comments signal that his administration’s warnings are not limited to Iran itself. The president is also threatening consequences for US partners if they enter agreements that Washington believes would strengthen Tehran’s position.
