Speaking by phone with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump said Iran should surrender as discussions over ending the conflict remained unresolved.

“Iran should raise the white flag of surrender,” Trump said, while making clear that he was not working under a fixed timetable. “I’m not in a hurry,” the US president added.

Trump threatens action if Oman interferes

Trump was asked about talks between Iran and Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

He responded with a direct warning to Muscat. “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the sh** out of them.”

The remarks add another point of tension to the talks over how commercial ships can safely move through the waterway while the US and Iran remain locked in a wider dispute.

US pressure on Iran continues

Trump also said the US naval blockade was continuing to place economic pressure on Iran. He dismissed public statements from Tehran that questioned the impact of the US measures.

Describing the Iranians as “good poker players”, Trump said they were “dying”. He also rejected the idea that the November US midterm elections were shaping his approach to the conflict.

Trump said he was prepared to continue applying pressure and indicated that he did not believe the US had used a large share of its available military resources. “What we’ve used so far is peanuts,” he said.

Trump speaks about US weapons stockpiles

The US president also addressed concerns over weapons available to American forces in West Asia.

Trump said the US had a large supply of mid-level weapons. He also blamed former President Joe Biden for sending some advanced systems to Ukraine.

According to Trump, the transfer of advanced equipment included air defence systems that he said were needed in the region.

• Trump said US weapons use so far had been limited.
• He said the US had large numbers of mid-level weapons available.
• He criticised the transfer of advanced systems to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden.
• He said air defence equipment was needed in West Asia.

Iran and Oman continue Hormuz talks

Trump’s warning came as Tehran and Muscat continued discussions on a system for safe commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and Oman have been working on a proposed shipping route map after weeks of technical talks. The discussions are aimed at creating a framework for commercial vessels using the strategic waterway.

The talks follow an Iran-US memorandum of understanding signed in June that involved Tehran and Muscat in developing arrangements for navigation through the strait.

Iran explains why talks are taking longer

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the discussions with Oman were continuing but had taken time because of the complexity of the issue and the number of parties involved.

He also accused unnamed parties of trying to disrupt efforts to improve security in the region.

Baghaei said three main issues were slowing the process:

• The complexity of creating a new navigation arrangement.
• The involvement of multiple actors seeking influence over the process.
• What Iran described as efforts by “malicious parties” to create instability in the region.

“Keep in mind that insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz was imposed on us, on the region and on the entire world, and the reason for it was the illegal military action of the United States,” Baghaei said.

Iran says sovereignty and safe shipping are key

Baghaei said the Iran-Oman discussions were focused on two main goals: protecting the sovereignty of the two coastal states and ensuring safe passage for commercial ships.

He said Tehran and Muscat were still exchanging views on a possible joint statement and remained committed to finding an arrangement that addressed the concerns of both countries.

“These three factors have caused this process to take some time, but if you consider all these things, the talks between Iran and Oman are continuing seriously,” Baghaei said.

Why the Strait of Hormuz matters

The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime route connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. Any disruption to commercial shipping through the waterway can have wider effects on energy markets and global trade.

The competing positions of Washington, Tehran and Muscat have therefore added a major diplomatic issue to the wider US-Iran conflict.

What happens next

The immediate focus is on whether Iran and Oman can finalize a navigation framework without further confrontation with the United States.

Trump’s warning raises the pressure on Muscat as it tries to work with Tehran on safe shipping arrangements. Iran, meanwhile, says the talks are continuing despite what it describes as outside efforts to derail the process.

The next stage of the Iran-Oman discussions could determine how commercial ships transit the Strait of Hormuz while the broader US-Iran standoff remains unresolved.