US President Donald Trump has again threatened Oman with military action if it “gets in the way” of his efforts to end the US-Israel war on Iran.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News on Monday, marking the second time he has directed such a threat at Muscat.
Oman is a longstanding US strategic partner and has traditionally played an important role as a backchannel between Washington and Tehran.
Diplomatic window closes without deal
Trump made the remarks as efforts to bring the conflict to an end continue to face difficulties, almost six months after the war began.
A two-month window for a negotiated settlement with Tehran expired on Monday without a breakthrough.
Trump has repeatedly predicted that the war would end soon and has spoken of the possibility of a lasting peace agreement. However, no deal has been reached.
At the same time, Trump said he was “not in a hurry” to reach an agreement and indicated that he would not impose another deadline on Iran.
“I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry,” he said.
He also called on Iran to “put up the white flag of surrender”.
Iran nuclear programme remains key issue
Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran at the Palace of Versailles on June 17, on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
The agreement paused hostilities and established a maximum 60-day period, extendable only by mutual consent, for negotiations on a comprehensive deal covering sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear programme and other disputes.
Trump later reiterated his main negotiating demand on Truth Social, saying Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
US weapons stockpiles
Trump also dismissed concerns that the US military’s weapons stockpiles could be running low after nearly six months of fighting.
He told Fox News that US expenditure on the conflict so far was “peanuts”.
Trump suggested that some of the country’s more advanced munitions and air defence systems had already been supplied to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden.
The comments echo earlier warnings from defence analysts that US and allied weapons stockpiles were being depleted faster than they could be replenished.
Tensions over the Strait of Hormuz
The threat comes amid continuing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global trade route through which around one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies normally pass.
The strait has been almost completely closed since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in February.
Iran lies to the north of the waterway, while Oman is situated to its south. The two countries have been holding talks over control of the strait.
Trump also threatened in May to “blow up” Oman if it failed to “behave”.
On Friday, he separately suggested that the Strait of Hormuz could be declared “a territory of the United States”.
Oman continues mediation efforts
Oman, which has close military and economic ties with the United States, has played a mediation role during the conflict. The Gulf state has also come under attack from Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that talks with Oman were “continuing in earnest” despite Trump’s latest remarks.
Trump also confirmed for the first time that Washington had established a direct backchannel to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been targeted by the US and Israel during the conflict.
“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump said of the IRGC leadership.
Also read: Trump orders Pentagon to scale back military exercises with South Korea
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