President Donald Trump said that the US would attack Oman if Muscat interfered in Washington’s negotiations with Tehran. 

Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the sh*t out of them.” Muscat has been negotiating with Tehran about the future of the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is a narrow waterway that lies between Iran and Oman. The waterway is the only entrance or exit for the Persian Gulf. About a fifth of the world’s energy crosses the Strait. 

In response to the US and Israeli war against Iran, Tehran seized control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says the Strait is within its and Oman’s territorial waters, and any vessels that transit the Strait will have to pay a fee. 

Over the past month, Oman and Iran have engaged in direct negotiations to come to an agreement on new shipping protocols for the Strait. The deal would give Iran full control over ships entering the Persian Gulf, while exiting ships would be subject to joint oversight between Tehran and Muscat. 

Additionally, the two nations would change service fees for ships using the Strait. The funds would be split between Iran and Oman. 

It is not the first time Trump threatened Oman. In May, the President said that if Oman asserts that half of the Strait is within its territorial waters, he will “blow ’em up.”