US President Donald Trump on Monday (17 August) threatened to bomb Oman if the Gulf country gets in the way of the blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which America is using to put pressure on the Iran peace deal, Fox News reported.
In a phone interview, President Trump told the network that if “Oman gets in the way we’ll bomb the s**t out of them.” He also said that the blockade is putting pressure on Iran and that he has no timeline for resolving the conflict, declaring he isn’t in a hurry.
The US-Iran war has dragged on for nearly six months with no resolution in sight. Peace talks have stalled, and intermittent clashes keep flaring up, disrupting the flow of oil and other key commodities through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian diplomats have been in negotiations with in recent weeks over a provisional arrangement to manage shipping through the strait.
US-Iran peace talks remain deadlocked
The conflict, which began after Israel and the US attacked Iran on February 28, has continued for nearly six months, with intermittent clashes and disruptions to trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is a crucial artery for global energy markets. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed through the strait.
Iran effectively closed the waterway after the February attacks. The US has since sought an arrangement that would allow commercial shipping to resume before Washington lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran, Oman work on Strait of Hormuz shipping deal
Iranian diplomats have been negotiating with Oman in recent weeks over an interim arrangement for managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said on Monday that it was working with outlining the proposed arrangements.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said an understanding had been reached over the route that ships would use to transit the waterway.
“An understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route.” Baghei said.
Baghaei did not provide further details, but previous discussions have indicated that ships could enter the strait through a route close to Iran and leave through one near Oman. Under the proposed interim arrangement, vessels would not be required to pay fees or tolls while transiting.
Baghaei said the talks with Oman were moving slowly, but Iran still aimed to finalise a package covering the proposed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz and a joint statement.
Trump reiterates Iran nuclear weapon warning for Iran
Trump also repeated his position that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains the central US objective.
In a post on said: “The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon.”
The statement came as the 60-day negotiating window expired without any indication that Washington and Tehran had agreed to extend the period or bridge their differences.
Jared Kushner meets Netanyahu over Gaza road map
The developments involving Iran came as Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a US Middle East negotiator, held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a separate but closely linked regional crisis in Gaza.
Kushner met Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday to discuss the group’s disarmament, before meeting Netanyahu on Monday.
The discussions followed Netanyahu’s rejection of a 15-point, US-backed road map aimed at advancing a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Hamas has said it accepts the proposed road map, which includes provisions for disarmament, and has called on mediators and the US-created Board of Peace to “compel” Israel to accept the agreement.
Israel, however, has maintained that Hamas must fully disarm before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza. Under the proposed framework, Israel would be required to pull its forces back from parts of the territory.
Israeli troops currently control about 60% of Gaza, while Netanyahu has previously threatened to expand the military operation further.
