President Donald Trump has again issued a threat against Oman, stating the US would bomb the nation if it interfered with efforts to conclude the US-Israel war on Iran. This declaration comes as a two-month diplomatic window for peace negotiations with Iran expired on Monday without a resolution to the conflict, which has persisted for nearly six months.
The President conveyed his latest threat during an interview on Monday, remarking that if Oman were to obstruct the process, the US would take severe action. This marks the second instance of such a threat directed at Muscat, a country that has historically served as a vital intermediary between Washington and Tehran and is not directly involved in the ongoing war. The previous threat occurred in May, when the President suggested he would blow up Oman if it did not behave.
Trump has positioned his second presidential term’s legacy on being a peacemaker, yet his initiatives to disengage the US from Middle Eastern conflicts are encountering difficulties. The war, launched in February, has seen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane for approximately one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies, largely closed. Iran lies to the north of the strait, and Oman to the south, with both nations engaged in discussions regarding its control. Trump also recently suggested declaring the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States.
The diplomatic window, established by a memorandum of understanding signed by Trump and Iran at the Palace of Versailles on June 17, had paused hostilities and set a 60-day period for a comprehensive deal. This agreement was meant to cover sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear program, and other disputes, with extensions only possible by mutual consent. Despite the deadline passing, Trump indicated he was not in a hurry to reach an agreement, stating he had no time schedule. He also called for Iran to surrender, though without imposing a new deadline.
The President also addressed concerns about the depletion of US military resources due to nearly six months of fighting, dismissing the expended arsenal against Iran as peanuts. He claimed that many advanced US munitions, including air defense systems, had been previously provided to Ukraine under the prior administration. This echoes earlier warnings from defense analysts about US and allied stockpiles diminishing faster than they could be replenished.
In a related development, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for over four hours in Israel. This meeting followed Netanyahu’s rejection of a US-backed peace plan for the Gaza war, which included the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Netanyahu has maintained that any withdrawal must be contingent on Hamas fully disarming. US officials indicated that Kushner urged Netanyahu not to impede a peace deal.
Meanwhile, conflicts continue across the Middle East. Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile and drone strike against Saudi military ships in the Red Sea, near the Bab-al Mandeb strait. Saudi officials have not confirmed this attack, which the Houthis stated hit one Saudi military ship and four escort vessels. Oman, a nation of 5.3 million people with long-standing military and economic ties to the US, has played a mediation role in the conflict and has also faced attacks from Tehran. Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that talks with Oman are continuing despite the recent threats.
Trump also confirmed the establishment of a direct backchannel between Washington and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been a target for the US and Israel throughout the conflict. He described the IRGC leadership as good poker players who are dying. The President’s primary objective, as stated on his social media platform, remains that Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon in any form.
