RismadarVoice Reporters, August 18, 2026
US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Oman if the Gulf nation interferes with efforts to reach an agreement with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the threat on Monday during a phone interview with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, who later reported the president’s remarks on air. No recording of the conversation was made public.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb them out,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Asked about the comments later by reporters at the White House, Trump said he believed Oman had not acted appropriately but suggested that the United States would be able to deal with the situation easily.
Oman has been involved in discussions with Iran concerning the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which a significant portion of global oil shipments passes.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported on Saturday that Tehran and Muscat had reached an understanding on a plan for maritime traffic through the strait.
Trump’s threat came as a 60-day deadline agreed by the United States and Iran in June approached its conclusion. The agreement was intended to provide a framework for ending the conflict and negotiating an arrangement over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply, with MarineTraffic reporting that only 13 vessels passed through the waterway over the weekend, including three on Sunday.
Trump has also previously suggested that the United States could claim control over the strategic waterway.
Speaking on Monday, he said Washington currently had “total control” of the strait and described a US blockade as effective.
Trump said the US was removing millions of barrels of oil from the region each week and argued that the continued flow of crude had contributed to lower oil prices.
His comments coincided with a rise in international oil prices, with Brent crude briefly climbing above $90 a barrel and gaining 2.7 per cent during the day.
The threat against Oman drew criticism from US lawmakers.
Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said he planned to introduce a resolution seeking to prevent military action against Oman when the Senate returns from its August recess.
Kaine, a long-standing advocate of congressional oversight of presidential military powers, urged lawmakers from both parties to oppose what he described as an excessive use of executive authority.
Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said the president remained focused on increasing economic pressure on Iran.
Kushner said Trump regarded the blockade as an important part of the US strategy and argued that Iran’s economy had deteriorated significantly since the conflict began.
He maintained that Tehran would need to agree to what he described as a genuine deal and warned against attempts to conceal information or seek concessions without making substantive commitments.
