Partway through Donald Trump’s latest White House Cabinet meeting, a reporter asked the president a relatively straightforward question related to the Strait of Hormuz and its future: “Would you accept a short-term deal that allows Iran and Oman to control the strait, and would they have to open immediately, or would you be open to that happening over a period of time?”
Trump responded that the waterway will “be open to everybody.” Pressed further on which country would control the strait, the Republican added, “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.”
If he had stopped the answer there, the exchange would have been largely unremarkable. The president, however, decided to add one additional thought.
“Oman will behave just like everyone else, or we’ll have to blow them up,” Trump warned. Referring to officials in Oman, he added, “They understand that.”
In other words, according to the American president, he’s prepared to start bombing a longtime U.S. ally if it partners with Iran to share control of the Strait of Hormuz.
As part of the network’s on-air coverage of the Cabinet meeting, Fox News’ John Roberts noted Trump’s threat and told viewers, “Not quite sure what that was all about.”
Oddly enough, I had the same reaction.
A Politico report noted that Oman “has been a key interlocutor in behind-the-scenes negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program and more recently in the push to end the war between Tehran and Washington.” Those diplomatic efforts have been rewarded with a threat of military violence.








