Trump threatens to bomb US ally Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ of Iran deal

President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman – a US ally – if it “gets in the way” of his administration’s talks with Iran, Fox News reports.

The US and Oman have been negotiating separately with Tehran over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital to the global economy. It has been largely closed for nearly six months during the US-Iran war.

A Fox News reporter said the US president made the threat against Oman while using an expletive during a phone interview.

Earlier in the day, Iranian officials said they were close to finalising an agreement with Oman. Meanwhile, the future of talks between the US and Iran remains unclear as a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides expires.

Since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes. Reopening the waterway has been a key focus of negotiations.

Oman borders the southern side of the Strait and has said it is a neutral country in the conflict. However, it has suffered a number of strikes from Iran and is now playing a key role in negotiations with Tehran over reopening the waterway.

Washington has also pursued its own efforts to secure its reopening. Fox News 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 News, Trump also claimed that the US had a direct backchannel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a major military, economic and political force in the country.

An IRGC spokesman denied the claim.

A spokesman told the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim: “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 against Oman a few hours after Iran said the two countries had reached an agreement allowing ships to travel through the Strait.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters that “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 the talks as positive.

Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a full reopening of the Strait depended 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 value of cargoes carried by vessels travelling through the Strait.

While Trump said in his interview with Fox News that he had a direct backchannel with the IRGC, he also said he was in no hurry to bring the war to an end.

“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 intended to bring about a ceasefire and at least partially reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, it collapsed shortly afterwards when both sides resumed strikes.

On 8 July, Trump said the ceasefire was “over” and described Iran’s leadership as “scum” and “cuckoo” following fresh exchanges of fire.

As the MoU approached 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.”