President Donald Trump warned that Oman must behave regarding the Strait of Hormuz or the United States would have to blow them up [1].
The remarks target a critical maritime chokepoint where global oil shipments flow. Any shift in control or the implementation of a toll system could destabilize regional security and impact international energy prices.
Trump made the comments during a U.S. cabinet meeting on May 27 [1]. The warning followed reports that Iran and Oman were discussing a joint toll for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz [4]. Trump said a potential deal would open the waterway immediately, but he emphasized that the waterway would not be controlled by any single nation [4].
During the meeting, Trump addressed the necessity for Oman to align with U.S. expectations. "Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up," Trump said [1].
Oman has historically acted as a diplomatic bridge between the U.S. and Iran. The prospect of a joint toll agreement with Tehran suggests a shift in regional dynamics that the U.S. administration appears to oppose. The White House has not issued a formal diplomatic cable to Oman following the cabinet meeting remarks.
While some reports suggest the threat applied to the entire country, other accounts describe the remark as an off-the-cuff warning regarding the specific geopolitical dispute [2, 3]. The administration maintains that no single country should hold dominion over the strategic waterway.
“"Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up."”
This escalation signals a hardline U.S. approach to preventing any bilateral agreement between Iran and Oman that could grant them financial or physical control over the Strait of Hormuz. By threatening a traditional partner like Oman, the administration is prioritizing the 'internationalization' of the waterway over regional diplomatic norms to ensure the U.S. maintains strategic influence over global energy transit.
