US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a sharp warning to Oman while speaking about ongoing negotiations with Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying no country would be allowed to control the strategic waterway.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to all nations and described it as “international waters” that cannot be controlled by any one country.
“We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have,” Trump said. Track US-Iran war news live updates.
He then issued a direct warning to Oman, saying, “They would like to control it. Nobody’s going to control it. It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up.”
The President made the remark after being asked whether he would accept a proposed arrangement under which Iran and Oman would share control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
Moments later, Trump appeared to soften the rhetoric, adding: “They understand that. They’ll be fine.”
US still unhappy with Iran deal terms
Trump made it clear that Washington is still not fully satisfied with the current framework being discussed with Tehran.
“Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal. So far they haven’t gotten there … we’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be either that or we’ll have to just finish the job,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Trump doubled down on his position and stressed that any final agreement with Iran must meet all US expectations.
“The deal has got to be perfect,” he said.
One of the biggest hurdles in the negotiations remains the future management of the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions have also focused on Iran’s nuclear programme and demands from Washington regarding Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
At the same meeting, he also said he was uncomfortable with either Russia or China taking custody of Iran’s highly enriched uranium reserves.
Rubio says talks showing some progress
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, addressed the Cabinet meeting and indicated that negotiations were moving forward, though cautiously.
“There’s been some progress and some interest, and we’ll see over the next few hours and days whether progress could be made,” Rubio said.
He reiterated Washington’s core demand in the talks, adding: “The bottom line is Iran’s never going to have a nuclear weapon.”
