Trump Threatens to Bomb Oman Over Iran Strait Talks

President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman, warning the small Gulf nation it would face U.S. strikes if it "gets in the way," according to comments he made to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst this week. It is not the first time Trump has issued such a threat. Oman has not commented.

Two regional officials said Tuesday that Trump's anger stems from Oman's progress toward a deal with Iran over managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway separating the two countries.

Trump had promised a quick war and a weakened Iran, along with a better nuclear deal. Instead, Iran has used control of the strait as leverage in negotiations, asserting authority over what had long been treated as international waters. U.S.-Iran talks have stalled entirely. The 60-day window opened by an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran expired this week with no extension in sight, and Trump says no talks with Iran are currently planned.

That leaves the Iran-Oman talks over strait shipping as the only active diplomatic track. The discussions have continued for weeks largely out of public view. Tehran says the two sides are finalizing a joint statement, though there is a widespread sense Iran is not rushing.

Oman, a nation of just over 5 million people, has kept a relatively low profile during the war and has not been targeted the way some neighbors hosting U.S. forces have. It allows the U.S. military limited use of its facilities, though its defense ties with Washington are smaller than those of Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates. Regional mediation efforts, once led partly by Oman, are now driven mainly by Qatar and Pakistan.

Regional officials say the emerging Iran-Oman arrangement would have ships enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through one controlled by Oman, though any deal appears contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. Oman said earlier this month the talks were "proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere" while condemning attacks on ships in the strait.

After a meeting Tuesday with Egypt's foreign minister, Egypt said the deal could pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume talks toward a broader agreement. Since Trump's threat, Oman's state news agency has focused on unrelated topics like the stock exchange and coffee imports, and it remains unclear whether the threat will affect the pace of talks.