US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman, a traditional American ally, if it "gets in the way" of Washington's efforts to negotiate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran. In a phone interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, Trump said: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them," and called on Iran to "put up the white flag of surrender." The remarks mark a sharp escalation in tone toward a country that borders the southern side of the strategic waterway and has positioned itself as a neutral mediator in the conflict.

The threat reflects a growing tangle of parallel diplomacy over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes. Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the strait, inflicting significant pressure on global energy markets. Oman has been conducting its own separate negotiations with Iran to reopen the waterway — and Iranian officials said on Monday they were close to finalising a deal with Muscat — while Washington has simultaneously pursued its own track. Trump's comments suggest deep frustration that Oman's efforts could undercut or complicate American leverage.

Also during the Fox interview, Trump claimed the US had established a direct backchannel with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the powerful military and political force that plays a central role in Iran's strategic decision-making. An IRGC spokesman flatly denied the claim, telling the semi-official Tasnim News Agency that "there are no talks taking place between IRGC officials and the Americans."

The threats and denials come as the broader US-Iran diplomatic framework frays. A 60-day Memorandum of Understanding signed in June between Washington and Tehran — intended to create conditions for formal negotiations — has now expired without substantive talks ever taking place. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the deadline was "irrelevant" because the US had violated the agreement shortly after signing. When asked by BBC News in the Oval Office whether he would seek an extension to the MoU, Trump replied simply: "No."

The developments underscore the increasingly complex and volatile diplomatic landscape surrounding Iran. With formal US-Iran negotiations stalled, Oman's independent mediation has taken on greater significance — but Trump's remarks suggest Washington views that role with suspicion rather than support. Analysts note that threatening a close Gulf partner in such explicit terms risks undermining the network of regional relationships the US relies on to project influence across the Middle East, at a moment when multiple conflicts — from Gaza to Yemen — are already straining those ties.