Donald Trump, in a late‑night phone call with Fox News, warned United States forces would bomb Oman if the Gulf kingdom interfered with negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said he had a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that a six‑month Memorandum of Understanding with Iran – scheduled to expire Monday – is in place.
Iran claims it has reached an agreement with Oman to allow ship transit through the Strait and is preparing to finalise details with the U.S., demanding compensation in the range of five to seven percent of cargo values. Oman’s neutrality is in doubt after recent Iranian strikes.
This threat escalates concerns in the global shipping and energy markets, where roughly a fifth of oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait, potentially sparking wider instability in the Middle East.
