Trump threatens to 'bomb the s***' out of US ally Oman as deadline for Iran peace talks passes
Donald Trump levelled the threat at the US ally if it tried to get in the way of Washington reaching a peace deal with Tehran
Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if the US ally "gets in the way" of a peace deal with Tehran.
Listen to this article
The US president reportedly made the threat in response to a reporter's question, as hostilities between the countries continue and both sides push for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trey Yingst, a reporter for Fox, said: "I asked the president about ... parallel talks that are taking place between Iran and Oman about control of the Strait of Hormuz."
In response, he says Trump quipped: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s*** out of them."
This comes as the 60-day deadline for a peace deal between the US and Tehran, which was set for Monday, has come to a close with no breakthrough in sight.
Read more: Iran undecided on resuming talks with the US, as Hormuz shipping remains a key dispute
Read more: Burnham exchanged messages with Trump chief of staff impersonator
Neither Washington nor Tehran have expressed a desire for an extension, and both their positions over the strait, as well as the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme, continue to be at odds.
Iran claimed on Monday that it had agreed on a plan with Iran to manage the flow of ships along the crucial waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil travels.
The strait has been a major stumbling block throughout the conflict between the countries, with strikes and blockades stifling traffic and impacting global oil markets.
The US has demanded the complete reopening of the strait, but it is not yet clear whether the deal with Oman will assist with this goal.
The strait was effectively closed by Iran after the US and Israel first struck the country at the end of February.
Tehran threatened to keep the strait closed until the US lifted its blockade of Iranian ports, and made it clear that it planned to maintain some control over the strait.
Esmail Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said that “an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route”, but did not specify details.
It was previously suggested that the deal would reopen the strait, with ships travelling through a route near Iran and exiting near Oman.
Ships would be able to travel without paying fees or tolls in the interim.
President Trump, whose management of the war has caused his approval ratings to plummet, announced on Monday that he was in no “hurry” to end the conflict.
The US president described the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as “good poker players”, but said, “they’re dying.”
He claimed he had established a backchannel of communication with the IRGC, but added: “I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry.”