Trump Threatens Oman With Bombing as Iran War Peace Talks Stall
US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh threat against Oman, warning that the Gulf nation could face American military action if it obstructs efforts to bring the war with Iran to an end.
Trump made the warning during an interview with Fox News on Monday, as a 60-day period agreed for negotiations between Washington and Tehran expired without a comprehensive peace agreement.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said.
The threat has heightened concern over Oman’s position in the conflict. The country is not a direct participant in the war but has maintained close relations with Washington while also serving for years as an important channel for communication between the United States and Iran.
Trump has previously threatened Oman. During a cabinet meeting in May, he warned that he could “blow up” the country if it failed to cooperate with his administration.
The latest statement came as Trump’s administration struggled to secure the peace agreement the president has repeatedly promised.
Trump has presented himself as a “peacemaker-in-chief” and has repeatedly suggested that the conflict would end soon.
However, the diplomatic timetable agreed with Tehran expired on Monday without an agreement covering sanctions, Iran’s nuclear programme and other outstanding disputes.
Despite the absence of a breakthrough, Trump said he was not under pressure to conclude a deal immediately.
“I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry,” he said.
He also called on Iran to surrender, saying Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender”.
The two-month negotiating period followed a memorandum of understanding Trump signed with Iran at the Palace of Versailles on June 17, on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
The agreement temporarily halted hostilities and gave both sides up to 60 days to negotiate a broader settlement, unless the period was extended by mutual agreement.
Trump also maintained that the United States had not exhausted its military resources despite months of fighting.
He described the amount of American weaponry used against Iran as “peanuts” and blamed the previous Biden administration for leaving US stocks of some advanced weapons and air defence systems depleted after transferring equipment to Ukraine.
The president’s comments come amid continuing military tensions across the Middle East.
Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed on Monday that it had launched a missile and drone attack against Saudi military vessels in the Red Sea.
The group said a Saudi military ship and four escort vessels were targeted near a port close to the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a major maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi authorities had not confirmed the reported attack.
In Israel, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, held a lengthy meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington attempted to revive negotiations over the Gaza conflict.
The meeting reportedly lasted more than four hours and followed Netanyahu’s rejection of a US-backed proposal that involved an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.
Netanyahu has maintained that Israeli forces should not withdraw until Hamas has fully disarmed. US officials said Kushner urged the Israeli prime minister not to create further obstacles to a potential agreement.
Meanwhile, the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the wider dispute.
The waterway, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, with roughly one-fifth of global seaborne oil supplies normally passing through it.
The strait has been largely closed since the United States and Israel began their military campaign against Iran in February, adding pressure to international energy markets and global trade.
Oman and Iran have been engaged in discussions concerning the strait, making Muscat’s role particularly sensitive.
Despite Trump’s latest threat, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that discussions involving Oman were continuing.
Trump also disclosed that Washington had established a direct communication channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been targeted during the conflict.
“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump said of the IRGC leadership.
The latest confrontation has placed Oman in an increasingly difficult position as it attempts to maintain its longstanding relationship with Washington while preserving its diplomatic links with Tehran.
For now, however, the promised breakthrough remains elusive, with the negotiating deadline expired and the conflict showing no clear sign of ending.
