Trump Warns Oman on Hormuz Control Amid Iran Talks

Donald Trump warned during a cabinet meeting this week that the United States would “blow up” Oman if the Gulf ally did not fall in line with Washington’s demands over the Strait of Hormuz. The offhand threat came as the administration seeks to reopen the narrow waterway, which has been effectively closed since the start of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and now carries sharply reduced tanker traffic.

The strait remains a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes through it, and its prolonged closure has already contributed to elevated energy prices that are beginning to register in broader inflation measures. Trump said the United States would oversee open access for all nations and rejected any arrangement that would give Iran or Oman effective control, including reported discussions between Tehran and Muscat over a toll system for transiting vessels.

Oman has maintained close military and economic ties with the United States for decades and has served as a mediator in past regional disputes, including during the current conflict. It has also been targeted in Iranian retaliation. The country’s embassy in Washington offered no immediate public response to the president’s remarks, and the White House has not clarified whether Trump intended to direct the threat at Iran instead.

The episode illustrates the improvisational character of the administration’s approach to the Hormuz negotiations. Trump has repeatedly stated that he is prepared to out-wait Iranian negotiators rather than accept terms that fall short of full reopening. At the same time, the United States has conducted additional strikes on Iranian targets in recent days, killing several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members and prompting an apparent Iranian response against a U.S. facility in Kuwait. Those exchanges have complicated efforts to reach even an interim arrangement.

Analysts note that credible diplomacy in the Gulf has historically relied on predictable alliance management and clear channels with partners such as Oman. Public threats against a long-standing security partner risk eroding the quiet cooperation that has allowed Oman to play a mediating role. They also come at a moment when global energy markets remain sensitive to any further disruption, with traders watching both military movements in the strait and the trajectory of talks between Washington and Tehran.

The administration continues to tie resolution of the strait issue to broader regional normalization efforts modeled on the earlier Abraham Accords. Whether the latest rhetoric advances or impedes that goal will depend on how Oman and other Gulf states interpret the balance between stated U.S. red lines and the practical requirements of keeping energy flows stable.