Trump Threatens Military Action Against Oman Over Iran's Hormuz Strait Control

US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Oman if it collaborates with Iran to strengthen control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning he would ‘blow them up’ or treat the sultanate like any other nation. Al Jazeera reported on Thursday, 28 May 2026, that Trump made the comments during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 27 May (US time), when a journalist asked for his opinion on a proposal for Oman and Iran to oversee trade in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles over 20% of global oil shipments. ‘Would you accept a short-term agreement allowing Iran and Oman to control the strait?’ the journalist asked. In response, Trump issued what appeared to be a reckless threat, stating no party would control the strait. ‘No one will control it. It’s international waters, and Oman will behave like other nations, or we will have to blow them up,’ he said. Although initial speculation suggested Trump may have misspoken, saying ‘Oman’ instead of ‘Iran’, the US State Department later shared the comments on social media, with a transcript referring to the Arab nation. Oman, known for its neutrality, has not indicated any intention to join Iran in controlling the strait. The US and Oman have been close allies for over 200 years. The two nations have several cooperation agreements, including security partnerships, free trade deals, and science and technology accords. Trump’s Wednesday threat highlights his increasing reliance on military power in foreign policy, a strategy sometimes termed ‘gunboat diplomacy’. Critics swiftly condemned the threat as reckless. Raed Jarrar, Director of Advocacy at US-based human rights group DAWN, compared the US president’s remarks to those of a ‘mafia boss’. ‘The UN Charter prohibits threats of violence against any nation, and this ban binds the US just as it does all others,’ Jarrar told Al Jazeera. ‘Threatening to ’blow up’ an Arab nation because its waters happen to lie along an oil route Washington wants reopened is lawless logic that led to this February’s war, and it is the clearest signal that any ceasefire brokered by this administration will only last until the president loses patience again in a cabinet meeting,’ he added. Trump’s threat came after Iranian state television reported a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries. The draft MoU reportedly would grant Iran and Oman joint control of the strait, but the Trump administration dismissed the report as ‘completely fabricated’. The Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping route for global energy products and agricultural fertiliser – has operated as a free international passage for decades. However, after the US and Israel began bombarding Iran in February, Tehran closed the strait and began asserting sovereignty over it. Part of the waterway runs through the territorial waters of both Iran and Oman.