Trump Threatens Oman with Military Action Over Strait of Hormuz Control

Washington DC. US President Donald Trump has threatened Oman with military action over the issue of control of the Strait of Hormuz.

During a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, a journalist asked Trump for his opinion on the possibility of Oman and Iran jointly managing trade traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is a strategic sea route used for more than 20 percent of the world's total oil transport.

"Will you accept if Iran and Oman are allowed to control the Strait for a short period of time?" the journalist asked. "No one will control it. It is international waters and Oman must behave like everyone else, otherwise we will have to bomb them," Trump replied.

Initially, it was speculated that Trump might have mistakenly said Oman when he meant Iran. However, the US State Department later released an official transcript of Trump's statement on social media, confirming that he had indeed mentioned Oman by name.

Oman has not made any public statement expressing a desire to cooperate with Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz. Oman, known for its neutral foreign policy, and the US are close allies with a relationship spanning over two hundred years. The two countries have various agreements, including security partnerships, free trade agreements, and science-technology cooperation.

Earlier, on February 28, Oman had been active in mediating between Washington and Tehran to end the war that began after the US and Israel attacked Iran. Trump's latest statement is seen as a strategy of increasing military pressure in his foreign policy, which some have interpreted as 'gunboat diplomacy'.

However, his statement has been widely criticized. Red Jarar, advocacy director for the US-based human rights organization Dawn, compared Trump's comments to the 'style of a mafia gang leader'.

"The UN Charter prohibits threatening the use of force against any nation, and that rule applies equally to the United States," he told Al Jazeera. "To threaten to 'bomb' an Arab nation simply because it is a maritime area near a strait that the US wants to reopen is a continuation of the illegal mindset that led to the war that began in February of this year," he added.

This controversy escalated after Iran's state television claimed that a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the joint management of the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman had been prepared. However, the Trump administration called the report 'completely fabricated'.

The Strait of Hormuz, considered extremely important for global energy and fertilizer transport, has been operating as a free international route for decades. However, after the US and Israel began bombing Iran in February, Tehran began to close the Strait and assert its sovereignty over it. Parts of the waterway fall within the maritime borders of both Iran and Oman.

Meanwhile, at Wednesday's meeting, Trump also reiterated his demand that Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, establish formal relations with Israel. He had attempted to normalize relations between Arab nations and Israel through the 'Abraham Accords' during his first term. In recent days, he has prioritized this agenda again, warning that the US may withdraw from negotiations if more Arab nations do not agree.

"I think they should do that for us," Trump said. Later, he added, "If they don't sign, maybe we won't have a deal." The White House did not immediately respond when asked for comment on this matter.