Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it gets in way of Iran deal: report

President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way" of a US deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the comments in an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, while also calling for Iran to surrender. The threat came as Oman and Iran held their own talks on the strait.

What did Trump say about bombing Oman?

Trump told Fox News that the US would strike Oman if it interfered with American plans for the Strait of Hormuz.

"If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them," he said, referring to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over control of the strait, while Washington pursues its own separate talks.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz central to this dispute?

Iranian and Omani officials have been negotiating for weeks on future maritime navigation arrangements through the shipping route. Tehran's foreign ministry said earlier Monday that the two sides were working on a joint declaration. Iran's coast flanks the north side of Hormuz, while Oman lies on the south.

Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strait, which Tehran effectively closed at the start of the Middle East war on February 28, is under US control, despite traffic remaining throttled. On Friday, he claimed he would even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, while Iran responded that the energy waterway it has blockaded "will remain Iranian."

What role has the strait played in the US-Iran conflict?

Before the US-Israeli war against Iran began, the Hormuz strait was considered an open, international waterway that carries significant portions of global energy shipments and other commodities.

Tehran has used its effective seizure of control over the strait as leverage against US-led attempts to destroy its military and force it to abandon its nuclear power program.

What else did Trump say about Iran during the interview?

Trump also said Iran should "put up the white flag of surrender," according to Yingst's post on X detailing the interview. He insisted he was in no hurry to reach a deal, despite the war's deep unpopularity among Americans ahead of November's midterm elections, in which opposition Democrats are seeking to take control of Congress from Trump's Republicans.

Trump told Yingst there is a direct back-channel between his administration and officials from Iran's Revolutionary Guard. "They're good poker players, but they're dying," he was quoted as saying.