US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it "gets in our way" of a possible peace deal with Iran. The threat was made on Fox News amid reports that Iran and Oman are nearing an agreement over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route that carried about a fifth of the world's oil before the war in Iran began earlier this year, causing global fuel prices to soar.
Stand-off over the strait
The US and Tehran have been in a stand-off over the crucial waterway since peace talks began. Trump recently declared his intention to claim the strait as US territory when the war ends, according to The Mirror.
Speaking on Fox News, Trump said: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s*** out of them."
Territorial claim and blockade
In a separate statement on Friday, the president said: "After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated - pretty soon, I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States." He added: "Essentially, that's what it is. We have a blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
Iran-Oman agreement and military response
Trump's warning comes as Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that Tehran had reached an agreement with Oman over shipping through the strait. On Saturday, he said: "Despite US obstruction, the talks have made positive progress over the past three weeks, and an agreement has been reached on the shipping route map."
One of Iran's most senior military leaders, Major General Amir Hatami, also threatened to "break" Trump's legs in retaliation over his comments about the strait.
