Trump says US not seeking to extend interim deal with Iran

President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman, a U.S. ally, if it hinders his administration's talks with Iran, according to Fox News. The U.S. and Oman have separately been negotiating with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global commerce that has been largely closed for six months due to the U.S.-Iran conflict. A Fox source reported that Trump made the threat during a phone interview, using profanity.

Iranian officials claimed they were nearing an agreement with Oman, but the future of the U.S.-Iran talks remains uncertain as their 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expires. Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Reopening the Strait has been a key point of discussion.

Oman, a neutral country in the conflict, borders the southern side of the Strait and is playing a significant role in negotiations with Tehran. Oman has faced strikes from Iran and has been vocal in its efforts to reopen the waterway. The U.S. has also pursued its own efforts to secure the reopening, with Trump reportedly having a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran.

An IRGC spokesman denied Trump's claim, stating that there are no talks between IRGC officials and the Americans. However, a spokesperson for Tasnim News, an Iranian news agency, dismissed Trump's statement as "fantasies caused by the delusions and nightmares he has suffered as a result of defeat and desperation in the war."

Trump made the threat to Oman a few hours after Iran claimed that the two countries had reached an agreement for ships to travel through the Strait. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, announced the understanding regarding the transit route and said both sides would finalize the details before issuing a joint statement. Oman had previously described these talks as positive.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously stated that a full reopening depended on Iran receiving compensation from the U.S. for violations of the MoU. Reuters, citing an Iranian official, reported that Tehran was seeking fees between 5% and 7% of the price of cargoes from vessels traveling through the Strait. Trump, however, said during a call with Fox that he had no time schedule and was not in a hurry to end the war.

"They're good poker players, but they're dying," he was quoted as saying. "I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry."