Trump appears to threaten Oman following Strait of Hormuz standoff | US-Israeli war against Iran

The US president warns that Oman, a US ally, will “behave like everyone else, otherwise we will have to blow them up.”

US President Donald Trump has threatened to use military force against Oman if it works with Iran to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz.

At a cabinet meeting Wednesday, a reporter asked Trump for his thoughts on the idea of ​​Oman and Iran overseeing trade in the strategic waterway, which handles more than 20% of the world’s oil traffic.

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“Would you agree to a short-term deal allowing Iran and Oman to control the strait? » asked the journalist.

Trump responded with a seemingly casual threat. “No one is going to control them. These are international waters and Oman will behave like everyone else, otherwise we will have to blow them up.”

While there was initial speculation that Trump might have made a mistake and said “Oman” instead of “Iran,” the US State Department later shared the comment on social media, along with a transcription of the quote referring to the Arab country.

Oman, known for its neutrality, has not declared that it wants to join Iran in controlling Hormuz. The United States and Oman are close allies and have a relationship that spans more than 200 years.

The two countries have concluded numerous cooperation treaties, including security partnerships, a free trade agreement, and a science and technology agreement.

Oman has previously played the role of a key mediator between Washington and Tehran as the latter sought a solution to the war that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

Trump’s apparent threat Wednesday highlights his increasing use of military force in his foreign policy, a strategy sometimes called “gunboat diplomacy.”

But critics were quick to call the threat reckless. Raed Jarrar, advocacy director of the US-based human rights group DAWN, likened the US president’s comments to those of a “mafia boss”.

“The United Nations Charter prohibits the threat of force against any state, and this prohibition binds the United States exactly as it binds everyone,” Jarrar told Al Jazeera.

“Threatening to ‘blow up’ an Arab country because its waters lie along an oil route that Washington wants to reopen is the same anarchic logic that produced this war in February, and it is the clearest possible signal that any ceasefire negotiated by this administration will only be maintained until the next time the president loses his temper at a cabinet meeting.”

Trump’s threat came after Iranian state television reported the framework for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries.

The draft note would have given Iran and Oman joint control over the management of the strait. The Trump administration, however, called the report a “pure fabrication.”

Hormuz – a major shipping route for global energy products and agricultural fertilizers – has operated as a free international passage for decades. But after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran in February, Tehran closed the strait and began asserting sovereignty over it.

Parts of the waterway pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

At Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, Trump also reiterated his call for Arab countries – including Saudi Arabia and Qatar – to establish formal relations with Israel as part of any future ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran.

Previously, during his first term, Trump helped mediate the so-called Abraham Accords to encourage Arab countries to form formal ties with Israel.

This normalization approach has re-emerged in recent days as a top priority for Trump. He threatened to withdraw from the negotiations if more Arab countries did not sign.

“I think they owe us that, to be honest,” Trump said at one point during Wednesday’s roundtable.

He later added: “I’m not sure we should make a deal if they don’t sign, if you want to know the truth.” »

The White House did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

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