President Donald Trump issued a stark warning Wednesday to Oman, threatening military action if the Gulf nation works with Iran to impose joint control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

The warning followed a report last week by The New York Times that Iran has discussed cooperating with Oman on a plan to levy tolls on vessels traveling through the strategic waterway.

“Nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

“It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.”

Oman’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately issue a response to requests for comment following Trump’s remarks.

The U.S. State Department later posted video of the president’s comments on social media, signaling that the administration was not attempting to soften or walk back the warning.

At the same time, American and Iranian negotiators are reportedly working toward a memorandum of understanding that would guarantee unrestricted international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz without the imposition of tolls, while also buying additional time for negotiations over Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump, 79, also warned during the Cabinet meeting that if negotiations collapse, military action may follow.

“If a deal is not agreed,” Trump said, “we’ll have to just finish the job.”

Before the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, Oman had served as one of the primary intermediaries between Washington and Tehran.

The Gulf monarchy, which has a population of roughly five million people, hosted unsuccessful nuclear negotiations earlier this year between Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al Busaidi later helped broker talks held February 26 in Geneva involving Araghchi, Witkoff, and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to reports, al Busaidi then traveled to Washington the following day for discussions with Vice President JD Vance as diplomatic efforts intensified in an attempt to avert war.

Since the conflict began, Pakistan and more recently Qatar have taken more prominent roles in mediating the ongoing negotiations.

{Matzav.com}