Why Has Trump Threatened to Bomb Oman for a Second Time?

The Strait of Hormuz has once again become the centre of a dangerous geopolitical standoff. US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it gets in the way of Washington’s efforts to resolve the Iran conflict and secure control over shipping through the strategic waterway. This is not the first time Trump has issued such a warning. His latest threat comes as the deadline for a 60 day US Iran negotiation framework has expired without a permanent agreement.

So why is Oman in Trump’s crosshairs? The answer lies in the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Any prolonged disruption to shipping through the strait can affect oil supplies, fuel prices and global markets. With Iran maintaining tight control over the waterway during the conflict, Washington wants commercial shipping to move freely without Tehran gaining greater control over who can pass through.

But Oman has taken a different approach. Muscat has longstanding diplomatic ties with Tehran and has often acted as a bridge between Iran and the West. Iran and Oman are now reportedly working towards an arrangement that could allow commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Washington, however, is opposed to any arrangement that could give Iran greater authority over the waterway or allow Tehran to charge vessels for passage.

This is where Trump’s frustration comes in. The US and Iran have failed to reach the kind of agreement Trump says is necessary to end the conflict. Iran has demanded major concessions, including sanctions relief, while Washington continues to insist that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has also indicated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US fulfils conditions linked to the earlier interim agreement.

Trump’s latest warning therefore appears to be aimed at putting pressure not only on Iran but also on Oman. In a Fox News interview, Trump warned that if Oman interfered with US efforts, the United States would bomb the country. His remarks have raised alarm because Oman is a longstanding US partner and has traditionally played a diplomatic role in the region.

The timing is particularly significant. The US Iran peace process has reached a deadlock, Iran has threatened to adopt a more offensive military posture, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has sharply slowed. At the same time, oil prices have climbed as markets fear that a prolonged confrontation could further disrupt global energy supplies.

For Oman, this puts the country in an extremely difficult position. It is trying to mediate between Washington and Tehran while also negotiating directly with Iran over the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s threat could make that diplomatic role much harder and potentially widen the conflict beyond Iran.

The bigger issue is not simply Oman. It is who controls one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. For Washington, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is a strategic and economic priority. For Tehran, control over the waterway is a powerful bargaining tool. And for Oman, located on the opposite side of the strait from Iran, the challenge is to keep the shipping route open without becoming a direct target in the US Iran confrontation.

Trump has also suggested that the United States could consider declaring the Strait of Hormuz US territory, an extraordinary proposal that further highlights how central the waterway has become to the conflict.

The immediate question now is whether Trump’s threat is meant as pressure or whether the confrontation could actually escalate into military action against Oman. Either way, one thing is clear. The Strait of Hormuz is no longer just an oil route. It has become one of the biggest bargaining chips in the US Iran conflict, and Oman has found itself caught directly in the middle.