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The US president warns that Oman, a US ally, ‘will act like everyone else, or we will blow them up’.
The President of the United States Donald Trump has threatened to use military force against Oman if it cooperates with Iran to ensure control of the Strait of Hormuz.
During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, a reporter asked Trump to consider the idea of Oman and Iran controlling trade on the waterway, which controls more than 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.
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“Would you agree to a temporary agreement that allows Iran and Oman to manage the situation?” asked the reporter.
Trump responded with a seemingly impossible threat. “Nobody can control it. It’s international water, and Oman has to act like everyone else, or we’ll blow it up.”
While there was initial speculation that Trump may have misspoken and said “Oman” instead of “Iran”, the US State Department later said. he shared comments on social media, and articles that refer to the Arab world.
Oman, known for its neutrality, has not said it wants to cooperate with Iran in controlling Hormuz. The US and Oman are closely related with a relationship that spans over 200 years.
The two countries have several bilateral agreements, including a defense agreement, a free trade agreement and a science and technology agreement.
Oman has previously acted as a an important mediator between Washington and Tehran when they wanted to end the war that started on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran.
Trump’s apparent threat on Wednesday reflects his growing reliance on the military in his foreign policy, a strategy sometimes called “gun talks”.
But critics were quick to call the threat reckless. Raed Jarrar, director of the US-based human rights organization DAWN, compared the US president’s comments to a “mafia boss”.
“The UN Charter prohibits threats against any government, and this prohibition binds the United States just as it binds anyone else,” Jarrar told Al Jazeera.
“Threatening to ‘bomb’ an Arab country because its water lies along the oil route that Washington wants to reopen is the same idea that started the war in February, and is a clear sign that the regime’s ceasefire will last until the next time the president gets angry at a cabinet meeting.”
Trump’s threat came after Iranian state television reported on a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries.
The drafting of the memo would have given Iran and Oman a joint mandate to resolve the issue. The Trump administration, however, has called the report “completely false”.
Hormuz – the world’s main transit route for energy products and agricultural fertilizers – has served as a free international route for decades. But when the US and Israel began bombing Iran in February, Tehran closed the door and began claiming sovereignty.
Some parts of the river flow through Iranian and Omani waters.
At the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump too he repeated his call for Arab countries – including Saudi Arabia and Qatar – to establish relations with Israel as part of any future US-Iran ceasefire agreement.
Earlier, during his first term in office, Trump helped broker the so-called Abraham Accords to encourage Arab countries to develop ties with Israel.
This persistent push has resurfaced in recent days as a top priority for Trump. He has threatened to abandon the negotiations if most Arab countries do not sign.
“I think they owe it to us, to be honest,” Trump said at one point during the third meeting on Wednesday.
He later added, “I’m not sure we’re going to make a deal if he doesn’t sign, if you want to know the truth.”
The White House did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
