US President Donald Trump has warned Oman against interfering as fragile talks with Iran continue, while asserting that the United States would “watch over” the Strait of Hormuz.
Responding to a question on whether he would accept a short-term deal allowing Iran and Oman to control the key maritime route, Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday (local time), “No, the strait’s going to be open to everybody.”
“It’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it,” he said. “That’s part of the negotiation that we have.”
“Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up,” Trump warned.
Donald Trump warned that no country would be allowed to control the Strait of Hormuz, a remark that surprised many given Oman’s long-standing status as one of Washington’s oldest and closest allies in the Gulf region.
Trump’s remarks came after Iranian state television reported that Iran had obtained an unofficial draft of a proposed Iran-US agreement that envisaged restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to prewar levels within a month, with Iran and Oman jointly overseeing maritime traffic.
The report also claimed that the United States will withdraw military forces from regions near Iran and lift a naval blockade.
However, the US dismissed the Iranian report, describing it as “a complete fabrication.”
“This report from Iranian-controlled media is not true and the MOU they ‘released’ is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER,” said the statement issued by Rapid Responses 47, the official communication page for the White House.
Meanwhile, Oman has remained in continuous contact with Iranian officials regarding concerns linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, on May 24, Omani officials led by Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi held discussions with an Iranian delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and recent regional developments.
According to a statement issued by Oman’s Foreign Ministry, the two sides discussed the principles related to freedom of navigation in the strategically important waterway in line with international law.
The statement added that both delegations exchanged views on recent developments and explored measures to strengthen the safety of maritime navigation, enhance maritime security, trade movement and the stability of global supply chains.
During the meeting, Al Busaidi received a verbal message from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi concerning the ongoing Iran-US talks.
The message underscored the commitment of both countries to ensuring the restoration of safe and sustainable freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
