Oman apparently wants to have a say in the Strait of Hormuz. This angered US President Donald Trump.
May 28, 2026, 07:11May 28, 2026, 07:11
Thomas Wanhoff / t-online
Donald Trump has threatened Oman with consequences if the sultanate reaches an agreement on opening the Strait of Hormuz to side with Iran. Tehran had announced that it wanted to control the strait, which is important for the global economy, even after a peace treaty with the USA and Israel. The Bloomberg news agency reported that Oman was in talks with Iran about controlling the strait. This is said to have been about a common fee system for transit.
Donald Trump threatened Oman.Image: keystone
Trump was asked at a press conference at the White House whether he would accept a short-term agreement under which the Iran and Oman, located on the opposite side of the Persian Gulf, could control the strategically important strait. “No, the strait will be open to everyone,” said the US President. “These are international waters and Oman will behave like everyone else or we will have to blow them up. They understand that, they will be fine.”
Was it a mix-up?
The US State Department also published the answer as a video on the X platform. Oman is actually considered an ally of the USA and helped in the background in the indirect talks with Tehran. There is also an agreement that allows the US military to use airports in Oman. The Sultanate is located at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, opposite Iran.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: The Strait is going to be open to everyone. It’s international waters. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it.
Oman will behave like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. pic.twitter.com/hCs1tIhZGP
— Department of State (@StateDept) May 27, 2026
Reporters wondered whether Trump really meant Oman. In the same press conference he also apparently confused Iran with Venezuela. He said that Venezuela “no longer has a navy, none air force more” – a phrase that Trump had repeatedly used about Iran.
Only a few ships have been able to pass since the beginning of the war
Trump announced over the weekend that he was very far along in negotiations with Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz would soon be opened. Iran contradicted this and pointed out that the passage should continue to be controlled. In recent weeks, a few ships have been allowed to pass through, and fees have apparently been charged. There are reports that parts of the road have been mined by Iran. Some countries, including Germany, have offered to help with mine clearance – but only after the war is over.
A view of the Strait of Hormuz from Oman.Image: Anadolu
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important waterways in the world. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. Huge amounts of crude oil and liquid gas are transported there every day – especially from countries like Saudi ArabiaIran, IraqKuwait and the United Arab Emirates. According to experts, around 20 percent of the oil traded worldwide passes through the strait. That is why the Strait of Hormuz is considered a strategic key point for global energy supply.
Since the American and Israeli attacks on Iran, shipping traffic has largely come to a standstill, with drastic effects on the global economy. Oil and gasoline prices have risen, Kerosene is becoming scarce and therefore air travel becomes more expensive, raw materials for fertilizer production in the USA and Europe cannot be transported further.