President Donald Trump told his Cabinet that he would bomb the Gulf nation of Oman unless it complied with U.S. expectations on the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The comment,made during a press‑filled meeting in early May 2024, followed a reporter’s query about joint Omani‑Iranian control of the waterway that ships roughly 20% of the world’s oil.

Trump’s direct threat to bomb Oman during a May 2024 Cabinet meeting

During the session, Trump said, “Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up,” implying a willingness to use force against a long‑time U.S. partner that hosts American bases. The White House has not issued a clarification, leaving diplomats to wonder whether the remark was a slip of the tongue or a deliberate signal.

Oman’s historic role as mediator in the Iran‑Hormuz dispute

Oman has acted as a neutral bridge between Washington and Tehran for decades,helping broker the 2015 nuclear agreement and maintaining defense ties since 1980. Its mediation is now central to reopening the strait after Iran shut it down in late February following U.S. and Israeli strikes, a closure that rattled global energy markets.

Trump’s parallel warnings to Iran and the claim of destroyed Iranian focres

In the same meeting, Trump warned that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth would “finish them off” if Iran failed to accept a nuclear deal, while also asserting that Iran’s navy and air force were “gone.” Analysts note that intelligence assessments contradict this, showing Iran has rebuilt much of its pre‑war firepower, including ballistic missiles and asymmetric maritime capabilities .

Uncertainty over the administration’s foreign‑policy consistency

The contradictory posture—threatening an ally while demanding concessions from a rival—has sparked debate among strategists about the United States’ ability to balance military pressure with diplomatic engagement. The lack of an official response compounds worries that U.S. allies may feel insecure about Washington’s reliability.

Who will decide Oman’s next move?

Oman’s leadership has not publicly responded, but its strategic calculus will likely weigh the risk of alienating a key security partner against the benefits of continued mediation. The coming weeks of negotiations, involving envoys such as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will test whether Oman can maintain its neutral stance amid heightened U.S. rhetoric.