President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman—a U.S. ally—if it ‘gets in the way’ of his administration’s talks with Iran, according to a Fox News report. The U.S. and Oman have separately been negotiating with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global trade that has been largely closed for nearly six months during the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Oman’s Neutrality and Role in Negotiations

Oman, which borders the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz, describes itself as a neutral country in the U.S.-Iran conflict; However, it has suffered a number of strikes from Iran and is now playing a key role in negotiations to reopen the waterway. Earlier in the day, Iranian officials said they were close to finalizing a deal with Oman.

During a phone interview with Fox News, Trump reportedly used an expletive when making the threat. According to Fox reporter Trey Yingst, Trump said: ‘If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.’ His comments came hours after Iran claimed the two countries had reached an agreement for ships to travel through the Strait.

Strait of Hormuz Closure and Global Impact

Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes. Reopening the Strait has been a key point of discussion in the ongoing talks. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said ‘an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route’ and that both sides would finalize the details before issuing a joint statement.

Washington has pursued its own efforts to secure the reopening of the Strait. Trump also claimed during the same interview with Fox that the U.S. has a direct backchannel with the Islamic Major Guard Corps (IRGC), a major military, economic, and political force in Iran. An IRGC spokesman denied the claim, stating: ‘There are no talks taking place between IRGC officials and the Americans, and this lie by Trump is merely fantasies caused by the delusions and nightmares he has suffered as a result of defeat and desperation in the war.’

Compensation Demands and Ongoing Tensions

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a full reopening of the Strait depends on Iran receiving compensation from the U.S. for what Tehran describes as violations of the 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides. Reuters reported that Tehran is seeking fees of between 5% and 7% of the price of cargoes from vessels that travel through the Strait.

Trump said in his call with Fox that he is in no hurry to bring the war to a close, adding: ‘They’re good poker players, but they’re dying. I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry.’ The MoU, signed on 18 June, was designed to bring about a ceasefire and at least partially reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, it fell apart shortly after when both sides resumed strikes.

On 8 July, Trump said the ceasefire was ‘over’ and criticized Iran’s leadership as ‘scum’ and ‘cuckoo’ after fresh exchanges of fire. As the MoU neared its formal expiry, Trump posted on his Truth Social network: ‘The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon.’