Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Strait of Hormuz dispute

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 18, 2026

Photo courtesy: The White House

US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would bomb Oman if the Gulf nation interferes with US efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as a 60-day negotiating deadline between the US and Iran expired Monday without a deal to end their conflict.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the [expletive] out of them,” Trump told Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst in a phone interview on August 17.

The warning came as Oman and Iran near completion of a separate agreement on shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz — a deal that would largely exclude the US from managing the strategic waterway.

In the same interview, Trump said the US has a direct backchannel with officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), though he did not elaborate on the specifics of any ongoing talks, saying only that the Iranians are “good poker players, but they’re dying.” CBS News

He also called on Iran to “raise the white flag of surrender,” and said he is in no hurry to reach a deal with Tehran.

The IRGC has denied Trump’s claim of direct talks. Iranian military official Gen. Hossein Mohbehi dismissed the president’s statement, saying no talks are taking place between IRGC officials and American counterparts, and attributed the claim to Trump’s frustration over the ongoing war. CBS News

Despite the denial, Iranian officials said Monday that a near-final agreement with Oman on Strait of Hormuz shipping routes is close to completion.

Meanwhile, the 60-day deadline set under a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran to end their conflict lapsed Monday without a resolution.