US President Donald Trump’s recent threat to “blow up” Oman if the country didn’t “behave” was striking not only for its tone, but also for its target.
Threatening a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member widely regarded as one of the world’s most effective diplomatic intermediaries marked a rare departure from Washington’s traditionally close relationship with Muscat.
For decades, Oman has helped advance American national interests with the Sultanate pairing its close partnership with the United States with a distinctive role as an effective and credible diplomatic bridge, quietly facilitating dialogue and helping ease sensitive disputes.
“The strait is going to be open to everybody,” the president said during a Cabinet meeting late last month. “It’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. 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 ’em up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.”
Within 24 hours, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced the Trump administration’s position, warning that Washington would “aggressively target any actors involved, directly or indirectly, in facilitating tolls for the Strait”.
You can read more of Giorgio Cafiero’s piece on Oman caught between Trump and Tehran here:
