Trump threatened to ‘blow up’ Oman — why the tiny Gulf kingdom is caught between DC and Iran

Minister Donald Trump’s The Gulf kingdom’s threat to “blow up” Oman if it “failed to act” revealed a rare rupture with one of Washington’s most valuable Middle East partners, a country that has quietly served as America’s back channel to Iran for decades.

“The Bosphorus should be open to everyone,” the President said at the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday. “This is international waters. No one will control it. We will protect it. We will protect it, but no one will control it. This is part of the negotiations we are having. They want to control it; no one will control it. These international waters. And Oman will act like everyone else, or we will have to blow them up. They understand that. They will be fine.”

This statement comes amid disagreement over the future of the company Strait of HormuzThe narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. The Trump administration has strongly opposed discussions reportedly involving Iran and Oman over a possible pricing system or joint management arrangement for the strait, arguing that such a move would threaten freedom of navigation and give Tehran greater influence over one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The comments reflected a broader disagreement over how far Oman should go in its efforts to engage Iran as the two countries discuss proposals for the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

Strait of Hormuz toll would set ‘Dangerous precedent’, UN Shipping Agency warns

The Omani embassy and the White House could not be reached for comment on tensions or negotiations regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

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Located at the southeastern end of the district Arabian PeninsulaOman occupies the southern bank of the Strait of Hormuz and has long pursued a different foreign policy than most of its Gulf neighbors.

Muscat has maintained close security ties with the United States while also maintaining relations with Iran, allowing Iran to serve as a key intermediary in the region. Oman helped facilitate secret US-Iran talks that paved the way for nuclear talks, has repeatedly served as a diplomatic conduit between Washington and Tehran, and has played a role in talks involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

“Oman’s role as the Switzerland of the Middle East has advanced U.S. interests,” April Alley, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital.

“They facilitated multiple rounds of talks between the United States and the Iranians,” he said. “They also managed to broker a ceasefire between the US and the Houthis in the Red Sea. Their neutrality allows them to be silent facilitators when the enemies are ready to talk.”

Oman’s historical value to Washington stems from its ability to maintain channels of communication with actors with whom many U.S. partners cannot or will not interact directly.

The Gulf kingdom has served as a mediator in negotiations involving the United States and Iran, supported diplomatic efforts on Yemen and often positioned itself as a neutral intermediary during regional crises.

This role was “indispensable” to previous diplomatic efforts, Yacoubian said.

“Oman has long played an important role as a quiet mediator, acting as a mediator for the United States and Iran in various negotiations, including the Obama-era JCPOA and more recently the Trump administration and its efforts to negotiate with Iran ahead of the 12-day war in June 2025.” he said.

While Trump’s statements attracted attention, experts said that they reflected a fundamental disagreement regarding the future of the Strait of Hormuz rather than a mere rhetorical explosion.

Asked whether the remarks were merely an unusual threat to a longtime U.S. partner or reflected deeper concerns, Alley said, “I think it was both.”

“Oman is an important defense partner and the Trump administration has a history of working with them on mediation efforts. The president has an unconventional style, but this comment was still shocking.”

“Beyond shock value, I think this reflects a clear frustration by the administration with Oman’s approach to the Bosphorus,” he said. “The President is signaling that Oman has gone too far in talks with Iran on options to open the Strait, which could give Iran administrative control and interfere with freedom of navigation.”

The administration’s concerns center on reports that Iran and Oman are discussing arrangements involving tolls, fees or joint management of the strategic waterway.

“The administration is right to be concerned about tolls, fees or joint management of the Bosphorus,” Alley said. “All of this is a recipe for Iranian interference with freedom of navigation in the long term and could set a dangerous precedent for other international waterways.”

He warned that if Iran gained administrative control over Hormuz, other Iranian-backed groups could seek similar arrangements elsewhere.

“I could see the Houthis trying to do the same in Bab al-Mandeb,” he said.

Mona Yacoubian, senior advisor and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, similarly argued that any arrangement that would financially benefit Iran through management of the strait would be cause for concern.

“A joint management plan, if indeed being discussed, that would provide monetary benefits to Iran, Oman, and possibly other Gulf Cooperation Council countries would have legitimate cause for U.S. concern because it would undermine broader principles of freedom of navigation and set a concerning precedent globally,” he told Fox News Digital.

Yacoubian said Oman was probably trying to act as a bridge between Iran and the Gulf Arab countries, and that there were concerns about future shipping disruptions in the strait.

“Oman is probably trying to act as a bridge between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries,” he said.

But Yacoubian added: “It is important to underscore that such threats are not well received globally and contribute to an overall erosion of trust in the United States as a reliable negotiator and leading global power.”

Why Do Gulf Countries Not Join the War Against Iran Despite the Attacks on Their Territories?

Oman’s role was not without controversy. Unlike many of its Gulf neighbors, Muscat often tries to maintain relations with rival regional powers even during periods of rising tensions.

Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the Middle East Forum, argued that concerns about Muscat go beyond the current dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.

“Oman often acts like Qatar,” Rubin told Fox News Digital. “They like to mediate, but at least in the past they seem to have turned a blind eye to terrorist financing and arms smuggling.”

Rubin noted three long-standing concerns: Iran’s alleged smuggling of weapons through Oman to Houthi rebels in Yemen, Oman’s hosting of Houthi leaders, and what he described as financial incentives tied to disruptions in Red Sea shipping.

“It’s no secret that Oman has chosen its own path and sometimes split the difference between Iran and the rest of the Gulf in ways that worry U.S. policymakers,” Daniel Beinam, a fellow at the Middle East Institute and former senior official for Middle East affairs at the State Department, told Fox News Digital.

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Despite this, Beinam emphasized the depth of the relationship between the two countries.

“Oman has been a close partner of the United States for a century and a half,” he said.

Original article source: Trump threatened to ‘blow up’ Oman – why tiny Gulf kingdom caught between DC and Iran