Trump Threatens Oman, Iran Responds with Solidarity Call
US President Donald Trump threatened to use military force against Oman if it collaborates with Iran to strengthen control over the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran expressed solidarity with Oman.
Trump made the remarks during a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday (27 May) US time when asked by a reporter about the idea of Oman and Iran overseeing trade in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles over 20% of global oil traffic.
“Would you accept a short-term agreement allowing Iran and Oman to control the strait?” the reporter asked.
In response, Trump issued what appeared to be a reckless threat, warning that no one would control the Strait of Hormuz and threatening Oman.
“No one will control it. It’s international waters, and Oman will behave like other countries, or we will blow them up,” Trump said.
Although there was initial speculation that Trump may have misspoken, saying ‘Oman’ instead of ‘Iran’, the US State Department later shared the comment 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 of Hormuz. The US and Oman have been close allies for over 200 years.
The two countries have several cooperation agreements, including security partnerships, free trade deals, and science and technology accords.
Trump Faces Criticism
Oman previously acted as a key mediator between the US and Iran as they sought to resolve the conflict that began on 28 February when the US and Israel attacked Iran.
Trump’s Wednesday threat highlights his increasing reliance on military power in foreign policy, a strategy sometimes dubbed ‘gunboat diplomacy’.
Critics swiftly condemned the threat as reckless. Raed Jarrar, Advocacy Director at the 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 everyone else,” Jarrar told Al Jazeera.
“Threatening to ‘blow up’ an Arab nation because its waters happen to lie along an oil route Washington wants to reopen is lawless logic that led to this February’s war, and it’s the clearest signal that any ceasefire mediated by this administration will last only 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 nations.
The draft MOU reportedly grants Iran and Oman joint control over the strait, but the Trump administration dismissed the report as “completely fabricated”.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global energy and agricultural fertiliser, has operated as a free international passage for decades. However, after the US and Israel began bombing 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.
Iran’s Response
US President Donald Trump threatened military action against Oman should it collaborate with Iran to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by expressing solidarity with Oman.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, addressed Trump’s threat, stating solidarity with Oman following “threats from US officials”.
The statement came after Trump threatened to “blow up” Oman if it did not “behave like other countries” regarding control of the strait.
Baghaei also condemned recent US attacks on Bandar Abbas in Iran.