Trump appears to threaten Oman over Strait of Hormuz impasse

The US president warns that Oman, a US ally, ‘will behave just like everybody else, or we will have to blow them up’.United States President Donald Trump has threatened to use military force against Oman if it collaborates with Iran to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz.At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, a reporter asked Trump to weigh in on the idea of Oman and Iran overseeing trade on the strategic waterway, which handles more than 20 percent of the world’s global oil traffic.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why is Israel attacking Lebanon’s Nabatieh, the major southern city?list 2 of 3US, Iran issue conflicting reports on deal as Trump says no sanction relieflist 3 of 3Iran government sells subsidised meat for Eid al-Adha under blockadeend of list“ Would you accept a short-term deal that allows Iran and Oman to control the strait?” the reporter asked.Trump replied with a seemingly offhand threat. “Nobody is going to control it. It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we will have to blow them up.”While there was initial speculation that Trump might have misspoken and said “Oman” instead of “Iran”, the US State Department later shared the comment on social media, with a transcript of the quote that referred to the Arab country.Oman, which is known for its neutrality, has not said it wants to join Iran in controlling Hormuz. The US and Oman are close allies with a relationship that stretches more than 200 years.The two countries have multiple cooperation treaties, including security partnerships, a free trade agreement and a science and technology deal.Oman previously acted as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran as they sought a resolution to the war that began on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran.Trump’s apparent threat on Wednesday highlights his increasing reliance on military force in his foreign policy, a strategy sometimes called “gunboat diplomacy”.