Trump threatened Oman with strikes over the Strait of Hormuz dispute

US President Donald Trump threatened Oman with military strikes if the sultanate's authorities hinder Washington's actions around the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran. The American president stated this on Monday, August 17, in a phone interview with Fox News.

Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported that he asked Trump about the parallel negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the management of shipping through the strategic strait. In response, the US president said that if Oman "gets in the way", the United States will bomb it. In the original, Trump used a significantly cruder expression.

Trump did not specify which actions by Muscat Washington could consider as obstruction. According to The Wall Street Journal, his words came in the context of the American blockade of Iranian vessels and US efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and Oman, meanwhile, are conducting separate negotiations on the mechanism for vessel movement through the strait. Tehran previously stated that the parties have agreed on geographical coordinates of the proposed shipping route, and a joint statement on the temporary procedure for its use is in the final stage of preparation.

Oman officially advocates for the restoration of free and safe navigation. In a joint statement by Muscat and Tehran dated June 23, both countries as coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz confirmed their intention to keep it open for international navigation and agreed to continue negotiations on a future vessel traffic management system in accordance with international law. The Omani Foreign Ministry also stressed the need to respect the sovereign rights of both countries.

In July, Oman again stated that it cooperates with all parties "transparently and neutrally" to restore freedom of navigation and adheres to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Muscat also opposed mandatory fees on vessels for passage through the strait.

This current threat by Trump against Oman is not the first. In May, the American president had already said that the sultanate should "behave like everyone else", otherwise the US could strike it. The current statement confirmed that he was indeed referring to Oman, which traditionally acts as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a key point of confrontation between the US and Iran. The northern shore of the strait is near Iran, and part of the southern coast belongs to Oman. Before the current crisis, about one-fifth of the world's maritime oil trade passed through this route, so shipping restrictions directly affect energy supplies and global prices.

Earlier KURS Ukraine wrote that Trump had declared the US intention to take control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Based on materials from: Fox News, Financial Times, Omani Foreign Ministry