Trump warns Oman over Strait of Hormuz talks

President Donald Trump said Monday the United States would “handle” Oman “very easily” if it interferes in efforts over control of the Strait of Hormuz, after Fox News reported that he had threatened to bomb the U.S. ally if it “gets in the way.”

“I don’t think they behaved very well, but we’d handle them very easily,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about comments he reportedly made earlier about Oman.

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst said on air that Trump made a stronger remark during a phone interview about the Strait of Hormuz and Oman. According to Yingst, Trump said: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.” NBC News reported that no audio of the interview was provided, and that the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the remarks.

The comments came as a 60-day agreement between the United States and Iran approached its Monday expiration. NBC News described the deadline as part of an effort to end the war and reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. The BBC reported that the Memorandum of Understanding, signed June 18, was designed to bring about a ceasefire and at least partly reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but fell apart a short time later when both sides resumed strikes.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway for global energy shipments. The BBC reported that about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through it, and that Tehran has largely blocked the strait since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February. The waterway has been largely closed for nearly six months during the U.S.-Iran war, according to the BBC.

Oman borders Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and lies near the Strait of Hormuz. The BBC reported that Oman borders the southern side of the strait, describes itself as neutral in the conflict and has suffered a number of strikes from Iran. The country has been negotiating with Tehran over reopening the waterway, while Washington has pursued separate talks with Iran.

Earlier Monday, Iranian officials said they were close to finalizing an agreement with Oman. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters that “an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route,” adding that both sides would finalize the details before issuing a joint statement. Oman has previously described the talks as positive, the BBC reported.

The BBC also reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier this month that a full reopening depended on Iran receiving compensation from the United States for what Tehran called violations of the memorandum. Reuters, cited by the BBC, previously reported that Tehran was seeking fees of between 5% and 7% of the price of cargoes from vessels traveling through the strait.

During the Fox interview, Trump also said the United States had a direct backchannel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the BBC. An IRGC spokesman denied the claim, telling 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 told Fox he was not rushing to end the war. “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.” On Truth Social, as the agreement neared its formal expiration, Trump wrote: “The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon.”