Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Strait of Hormuz transit talks with Iran

Threats against Oman over Hormuz negotiations

United States President Donald Trump threatened military action against Oman during a telephone interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst on 17 August 2026. Trump warned that American forces would strike the Gulf nation if it disrupted Washington's campaign against Iran. The confrontation followed an announcement by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei that Tehran and Muscat had agreed on a transit route map to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump dismissed the Omani diplomatic initiative and demanded that Tehran capitulate in the six-month conflict.

They should put up the white flag of surrender.

Expiration of the 60-day memorandum

The exchange took place on the day a 60-day memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran reached its official expiration date without a final settlement. Signed in June 2026, the memorandum had established a temporary halt to military operations across all fronts, but the agreement collapsed after Trump declared it finished on 7 July 2026 and Tehran suspended compliance on 14 July 2026. When United States and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February 2026, American administration officials initially estimated the conflict would last four to six weeks. United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the United States Navy possesses the capacity to maintain its naval blockade on Iranian ports indefinitely, while the White House prepared additional economic sanctions for later in the week.

Shipping proposals and the naval blockade

Before military strikes commenced in February 2026, the Strait of Hormuz carried approximately 20% of global liquefied natural gas and oil supplies. Under the bilateral proposal negotiated between Tehran and Muscat, commercial vessels would enter the waterway along the Iranian coast and depart near Oman. Baghaei stated that the plan was in its final stages regarding geographical coordinates, though Iranian authorities noted navigation cannot proceed while the American naval blockade remains active. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated earlier in August that full passage also requires financial compensation from Washington for alleged breaches of the June agreement.

If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them.

Backchannel claims and military posture

The threat marks the second time in 2026 that Trump publicly targeted Muscat. In May 2026, Trump issued a similar warning after reports indicated Oman had discussed establishing transit tariffs with Iran. Addressing domestic concerns over fuel prices ahead of the November 2026 congressional midterm elections, Trump stated that election timing did not influence his strategy. Trump also asserted that the White House had opened direct communication with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, utilizing an unconventional backchannel through Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. A spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied the claim to the Tasnim news agency, stating that no communication occurred. Regarding United States munitions, Trump rejected reports of depleted long-range missile stocks, stating that the military retains ample mid-range arsenals while noting that advanced systems had been supplied to Ukraine under Joe Biden.