Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it interferes with an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump warned on Monday that he would bomb Oman if that country "gets in the way" of an agreement with the Iranian regime regarding the Strait of Hormuz and called on Tehran to surrender.

In an interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst, Trump said: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the sh*t out of them." The comment referred to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran to regulate traffic through that sea lane, in parallel with Washington's own contacts.

Iran and Oman are negotiating a joint statement

Iran and Oman have been in talks for weeks regarding future navigation agreements through the strait. A spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Monday that "talks between Iran and Oman are continuing in earnest" and that "views are being exchanged on the text of the joint statement."

Trump, for his part, insisted that the strait—which was de facto closed by Tehran at the start of the war on February 28—is under U.S. control, even though traffic remains severely restricted. On Friday, the president went so far as to say that he would even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory. Iran responded that it "will remain Iranian."

Before the conflict in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz was considered an open, international shipping lane. A significant portion of the world's energy shipments and other goods passes through it.

Secret channel with the Revolutionary Guards

Trump insisted he was in no hurry to reach an agreement. The president also told Yingst that there is a direct secret channel between his administration and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. "They're good poker players, but they're dying," he said.

In the same exchange, according to a post by Yingst on X about the interview, the president noted that Iran should "put up the white flag of surrender."