United States ruler Donald Trump has threatened to attack and “blow up” Oman if it doesn’t “behave.” Should Oman attempt to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran in February, the US would be willing to attack its own ally, Trump said.
According to a report by Reuters, Trump made the remarks after Iranian state TV reported that it obtained an unofficial draft agreement that would reopen the vital waterway, with Iran and Oman jointly managing maritime traffic.
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“No, the Strait is going to be open to everybody,” Trump told journalists during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have.”
“It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine,” Trump said as quoted by RT.
Oman is a critical US ally. It mediated talks on Iran’s nuclear program until they were suspended by the conflict. Iran and Oman lie on opposite sides of the narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles around 25% of global seaborne oil trade and 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.
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Iran closed the route to ships from “hostile nations” following the US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28th. The US later declared its own blockade of Iranian ports in April. Tehran has since insisted on its “sovereign right” to manage traffic through the strait and collect tolls, while fuel prices skyrocket as costs become unsustainable.
The US and Iran are no closer to a deal now than they were when a ceasefire was declared.
Iran’s peace terms reportedly include demands for reparations, the withdrawal of US troops from the region, and an end to Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza. The US has demanded that Iran completely dismantle its nuclear program, which Tehran insists is entirely peaceful.