US President Donald Trump on May 27 threatened to "blow up" Oman if the Gulf state participates in a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that carries more than 20% of the world's crude oil.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Washington, Trump stated: "No one is going to control that strait. That is international waters. Oman must act like every other country, or we will blow them up."
However, experts note that the Strait of Hormuz is not entirely international waters. Much of the strait lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, while a portion falls within the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Who Has the Right to Control the Strait of Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz has long been a free international maritime route. Following a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, Tehran closed the strait and began charging up to $2 million per vessel for passage.
International maritime law prohibits states from charging fees for ships transiting a natural strait, even if it is not in international waters. However, countries may provide services such as insurance, maintenance, and port assistance.
Iranian state television reported that Tehran and Washington are nearing a memorandum of understanding for Iran and Oman to jointly control the strait, with fees described as "service charges" rather than "strait transit fees." The Trump administration dismissed this report as "completely fabricated."
What Role Does Oman Play in the US-Iran War?
Oman, a nation of 5.3 million people, has been a close US ally for over 200 years. It also served as a key mediator in US-Iran nuclear talks before the war erupted.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on February 27, one day before the conflict began, to discuss Iran's nuclear program. Albusaidi stated that the talks had achieved "unprecedented progress."
Unlike Qatar, Bahrain, or the UAE, Oman hosts no US military bases. However, it was drawn into the conflict when Iranian drone strikes targeting US military assets and energy infrastructure in the region also hit Oman's Duqm port in early March.
Why Is Oman Important?
Muhanad Seloom, an expert at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, described Oman as "the only Gulf state that is both a US security partner and Iran's most trusted interlocutor in the Arab world."
According to Seloom, the prospect of joint Iranian-Omani control over the Strait of Hormuz alarms President Trump for three reasons: it would cement Iran's control permanently after the war; set a precedent for coastal states to profit from international waterways; and hand Tehran a strategic victory beyond any ceasefire agreement.
Long-term ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran remain deadlocked. After a temporary truce on April 8 and the collapse of direct talks in Islamabad, both sides have been trading proposals and objections through Pakistan as an intermediary.
In a related development, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired warning shots at four vessels — including a British oil tanker — attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC also claimed an attack on a US air base in retaliation for a US strike near Iran's Bandar Abbas airport.
