President Donald Trump has again threatened to launch attacks on Oman if it “gets in the way” of his efforts to end the war between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Trump made the remarks on August 17 as he continued efforts to find a way to end the war, which has now lasted nearly six months.
Although Trump has repeatedly said the war would end “soon” and, in recent months, has emphasized that a lasting peace agreement could be reached, little concrete progress has been made so far.
The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global trade through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil transported by sea passes, has remained largely closed because of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Iran lies to the north of the strait, while Oman lies to the south. The two countries have been holding talks over how the waterway should be managed.
Trump told Fox News that if Oman interferes, “we’ll bomb the hell out of them.”
Trump’s latest threat comes after he also warned Oman in May, during a Cabinet meeting, that the United States could “blow them up” if the country did not behave as Washington expected.
