‘If Oman gets in the way, we will bomb them’: Trump threatens
Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch a bombing campaign against Oman. At a time when diplomatic efforts are underway to find a path toward an agreement over Iran, Trump has issued the threat against one of the key mediators involved in those efforts. He also publicly acknowledged that, alongside negotiations with Iran, the United States has been in direct secret communication with officials of the country’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In an interview with Fox News, when asked about Oman’s role in talks concerning Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, ‘If Oman gets in the way, we will launch a devastating bombing campaign against them.’
Earlier on Saturday, Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman on a new route map for shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following several weeks of technical discussions.
Regarding Iran, Trump said Tehran should raise a ‘white flag of surrender.’ He said, ‘They are good poker players, but they are losing.’
Trump also confirmed that the United States has a backchannel with the IRGC.
He said, ‘We have a backchannel with the IRGC. We are talking directly with IRGC officials in Iran.’
Regarding Gaza, Trump said, ‘The Israelis should not be attacking Gaza. Hamas has agreed to surrender its weapons.’
He also claimed that the United States has a separate channel of communication with Hamas. In Trump’s words, ‘We have a separate channel with Hamas. In the end, they are giving up their weapons.’
Trump made the remarks at a time when Washington is trying to implement his proposed peace plan, which includes disarming Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
In response to a question about Israeli politics, Trump said he believes remaining neutral in the country’s election is ‘the most appropriate’ approach. However, he did not rule out the possibility of supporting a candidate in the future.
In his view, ‘I think it is most appropriate to stay out of Israel’s election. But I could also support someone.’
