Trump says U.S. will bomb Oman if it blocks Hormuz operations

President Donald Trump threatened Monday to bomb Oman if the Gulf nation interferes with U.S. efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz, as a 60-day ceasefire framework with Iran expired without a new agreement. The warning, delivered in a phone interview with Fox News, marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric against a long-time U.S. ally and regional mediator.

"If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s out of them," Trump said, referring to parallel negotiations between Iran and Oman over a joint arrangement to manage shipping through the vital waterway. The threat came as the two nations were reportedly nearing an agreement on designated transit routes, a development Iran said would not automatically reopen the strait to normal international shipping.

The collapse of the memorandum of understanding, signed in June, deepens the stalemate in a conflict that began with U.S.- and Israeli-led strikes on Iran on February 28. Trump stated he was in no hurry to resolve the situation and confirmed his administration maintains a direct backchannel with officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a claim the IRGC later denied. "They’re good poker players, but they’re dying," Trump...