Trump threatens military action against Oman over Hormuz

President Donald Trump threatened military action against Oman on Wednesday, warning the United States would "blow them up" if the Gulf nation did not comply with his demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz. The remarks, made during a White House cabinet meeting, came amid reports of discussions between Iran and Oman over the future management of the strategic waterway.

Trump stated that the strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint, must remain open to all and rejected any notion of joint control. "It’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it," he told reporters. "And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up." The threat was later echoed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who warned Oman that the U.S. would aggressively sanction any actors involved in facilitating tolls for the strait.

The controversy stems from reports, circulated by Iranian state media, of an unofficial draft agreement for Iran and Oman to jointly regulate shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The strait has been effectively closed since late February, following the outbreak of open conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Prior to...