President Donald Trump just added another explosive layer to the widening crisis surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, this time directing a military threat at Oman, a longtime U.S. ally that has spent months trying to mediate between Washington and Tehran.
During a Fox News interview Monday, Trump made his position unmistakably clear.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said.
The warning arrives as negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled following the expiration of a 60-day U.S.-Iran ceasefire framework. The strategically vital waterway has become a centerpiece of the conflict, with shipping disruptions driving concerns about global energy supplies and sending oil prices higher.
Oman has occupied an increasingly complicated position in the dispute. The Gulf nation has traditionally served as a diplomatic bridge between Washington and Tehran and is currently working with Iran on arrangements governing shipping through the strait. The United States has pushed for broader access through the waterway while challenging Iran’s efforts to exert control over shipping traffic.
Iran has demanded major concessions during negotiations, including financial compensation, access to frozen funds and changes to the U.S.-led blockade, while disputes over its nuclear program remain unresolved.
Trump has continued to make preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon his central demand, saying, “You understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon.”
The president added, “It’s very simple. They can’t have a nuclear war.”
Trump’s threat against Oman is already generating political blowback at home. Sen. Tim Kaine is preparing a War Powers Resolution aimed at restricting military action against the country without congressional authorization.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also blasted the administration’s treatment of longtime partners, writing, “The president is making US policy friendlier to North Korea and Russia than Canada and Oman. Are you kidding me?”
With Iran warning that it could return to a fully offensive posture and diplomacy struggling to produce a lasting agreement, the Strait of Hormuz has moved beyond an energy crisis. It is becoming another potential front in a conflict already searching for an exit.