Trump threatens to bomb US ally Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ over Iran deal

President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb the US ally Oman if it "gets in the way" of his administration's negotiations with Iran, according to Fox News. The US and Oman have been separately discussing with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global trade that has been largely closed for nearly six months due to the US-Iran conflict.

Earlier, Iranian officials reported they were near to finalizing a deal with Oman. However, the outcome of the talks between the US and Iran is uncertain as the 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations is set to expire. At a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump was asked by BBC News if he sought an extension to the MoU, to which he responded negatively.

Iranian officials have also accused the US of attempting to block the Strait, which is essential for the passage of about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Oman, situated on the southern side of the Strait, claims neutrality in the dispute but has faced several Iranian attacks. Despite these challenges, Oman is actively engaging in negotiations with Tehran to restore the waterway's access.

The US has independently sought to secure the reopening of the Strait, and Trump reportedly claimed during a Fox News interview that if Oman interferes, they would face "bomb the shit out of them". The claim of direct communications between the US and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by Trump was denied by an IRGC spokesperson.