US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of the US-Iran peace deal.
Oman is currently negotiating with Iran over the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz, but Iran has repeatedly said it will not engage in direct talks with the United States.
A 60-day memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran that provided for a period of peace talks largely collapsed early and expired with little hope of renewal, as Iranian officials said on Monday that they were close to announcing a deal with Oman.
This is not the first time President Trump has threatened Oman, a U.S. ally that has never been in direct conflict with the United States. Oman also has territorial waters through the disputed Strait of Hormuz, and has positioned itself as a neutral country in the war between the United States and Iran. Nevertheless, the region has been subject to repeated attacks by Iran, which has targeted U.S. military assets and infrastructure around the region in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Now Trump is threatening to attack as well.
Read more about what President Trump threatened and why.
Why did Trump threaten Oman?
President Trump told Fox News on Monday that Iran should surrender and claimed his administration had opened a direct back channel for talks with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
During the interview, he threatened to bomb Oman, a U.S. ally, if it “disturbed” U.S.-Iranian talks.
“If Oman gets in our way, we will bomb them,” he said.
A spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards denied President Trump’s claims of direct dialogue, telling Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News: “There have been no consultations between Revolutionary Guards officials and the Americans, and this lie of President Trump is nothing more than a fantasy inspired by the delusions and nightmares he experienced as a result of defeat and despair in the war.”
Has he threatened Oman before?
Monday was not the first time President Trump has threatened Oman over the course of the five-month war between the United States and Iran. A similar threat was made in May.
At a May 27 Cabinet meeting, a reporter asked President Trump what he thought about the idea of Oman and Iran jointly overseeing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Would you accept a short-term deal that would allow Iran and Oman to control the strait?” the reporter asked.
President Trump responded with a seemingly careless threat. “No one can control it. This is the high seas and Oman will act like other countries, otherwise we will have to blow them up.”
Although there was initial speculation that Trump had mistakenly said “Oman” instead of “Iran,” the U.S. State Department later shared the comment on social media, along with a transcript of the quote referring to the Arab country.
What is the background to all this?
Iran and Oman have been in direct talks in recent weeks, mediated by a Qatari mediator, to reach an agreement on how to manage future maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
After signing a memorandum of understanding with the United States on June 17, Iran had agreed to provide free navigation through the strait for 60 days, but the plan quickly fell apart as the two countries disagreed over who would have ultimate control over the strait and, in particular, what routes ships should take. Towards the end of June, the United States resumed its attacks on Iran for nearly two weeks, when Iran began attacking a number of ships that followed U.S.-approved Oman-issued routes rather than its own.
Iran subsequently rejected direct talks with the United States, saying it had violated the terms of the memorandum of understanding, which included a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, and instead began talks with Oman over the future of the strait. Iran said it also announced a new list of demands for sanctions relief and a permanent halt to U.S. attacks ahead of restarting talks.
The Iranian government announced on Monday that the two countries have reached an agreement on a new route through the strait and are currently preparing a joint declaration.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghai said the proposed strait control mechanism is aimed at protecting the interests of both Iran and Oman while allowing the passage of commercial vessels.
“This is the first time that a mechanism has been developed that simultaneously protects the sovereignty of two coastal states and ensures the safe passage of commercial ships,” Baghaei said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies were transported before the US and Israel’s war against Iran began on February 28. Approximately 130 ships sailed through the strait each day.
Iran closed the strait in early March and allowed only a few ships it deemed “friendly” to pass through it until signing a memorandum of understanding with the United States on June 17. Since then, it has become a key issue that has dragged out negotiations towards a permanent peace plan to end the war with Iran.
Meanwhile, the United States imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports in and around the strait. Last week, the country opened fire on a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship as it attempted to enter an Iranian port and refused to comply with orders to change course.
The crisis caused global energy shortages and oil prices soared. The price of Brent crude oil, the world benchmark, was around $66 per barrel just before the Middle East conflict began. During the war, the price soared above $100 several times, most recently on July 23rd. In March, the price rose to $119.
Brent crude oil futures, the global benchmark, rose to $91.22 a barrel on Tuesday, near a three-week high.
What is Oman’s position on the Iran war?
Oman, known as a neutral country, has not publicly announced any intention to join Iran in controlling the Strait of Hormuz. The United States and Oman are close partners, with a relationship dating back nearly 200 years.
The two countries have several cooperation agreements, including a security partnership, free trade agreement, and science and technology agreement.
During the war, Iran launched multiple attacks against U.S. military facilities and energy infrastructure in neighboring countries, including Oman.
Oman had previously served as a key intermediary between the United States and Tehran seeking a resolution to the war that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
So why is President Trump threatening Oman now?
A deal between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, if achieved, could violate one of Washington’s core demands that Iran relinquish control of the strait as a condition of ending the war. Rather than curbing its dominance, such an agreement would formalize Iran’s position and give it greater legitimacy.
But experts say Trump is also likely angry that the United States appears to be left out of the straits deal.
“A solution, in part, brokered without US intervention, where Oman and Iran can effectively control the passage of Hormuz, which is entirely within their territorial waters, would show how powerless the US is and has been,” Laleh Hariri, professor of Gulf studies at the University of Exeter, told Al Jazeera.
The United States and Iran also disagree sharply over whether Iran should be allowed to charge shipping companies that use the strait. International law prohibits tolls when passing through natural waterways such as Hormuz, even though they are not technically on the high seas. However, fees may apply for services such as insurance, environmental protection, and docking. It remains to be seen whether this issue will be addressed in the Iran-Oman agreement.
In late July, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran should not be allowed to charge tolls on ships sailing through Hormuz. Days earlier, President Trump himself promised not to collect strait tolls unless his country collects them.
On August 14, President Trump went a step further, telling supporters in New York that he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. “territory.” “Once we defeat Iran, which has suffered a very bad defeat, we will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as American territory,” Trump said.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Justice and International Affairs, Kazem Ghalibabadi, reacted defiantly to the threat on social media.
“Trump said that after Iran’s defeat, he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory,” Gharibabadi wrote.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be captured by a tweet, by an aircraft carrier, by a decree, or by a campaign speech. Iran is not afraid of threats or shows of force.”
