Trump Issues ’Blow Up’ Threat to Gulf Ally

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump suggested the US could take action against Oman if it moves to help Iran assert control over the Strait of Hormuz, which remains heavily disrupted amid the ongoing US-"Israel" war against Iran and stalled talks over reopening the key shipping route.

According to Reuters, Trump made the remarks after Iranian state TV reported that it obtained an unofficial draft agreement that would reopen the vital waterway, with Iran and Oman jointly managing maritime traffic.

“No, the strait is going to be open to everybody,” Trump told journalists during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have.”

“It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine,” Trump said.

Oman, a key US ally that previously mediated talks on Iran’s nuclear program before they were suspended by the conflict, lies opposite Iran across the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global energy chokepoint carrying around 25% of seaborne oil trade and about 20% of liquified natural gas [LNG] shipments.

Iran closed the route to ships from “hostile nations” following the US-"Israeli" airstrikes, while the US declared its own blockade of Iranian ports in April. Tehran has since insisted on its “sovereign right” to manage traffic through the strait and collect tolls.

Iran’s peace terms reportedly include demands for reparations, the withdrawal of US troops from the region, and an end to "Israel’s" wars in Lebanon and Gaza.

The US has demanded that Iran completely dismantle its nuclear program, which Tehran insists is entirely peaceful.