President Donald Trump warned Monday that the U.S. will bomb Oman if the Gulf nation interferes with Washington’s efforts to reach an agreement with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News in a phone interview.

The threat came as a 60-day memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran in June expired Monday without a permanent peace deal. The expiration leaves the status of the critical oil shipping route unresolved nearly six months into the military conflict.

Tensions spiked Monday morning after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat had reached an “understanding” on a revised transit route through the strait. Baghaei told reporters that the agreement remains separate from broader discussions on fully reopening the waterway, which Iran insists is contingent on the U.S. lifting its naval blockade and paying war reparations.

Later in the day, Trump dismissed the Iranian-Omani talks during remarks in the Oval Office, warning Muscat against taking side deals with Tehran.

“I don’t think [Oman] behaved very well,” Trump said. “But we’d handle them very easily, just like we do others.”

The rhetoric marks the second time Trump has threatened military action against Oman. In May, he warned Muscat to “behave… or else we’ll have to blow them up” following reports that Oman and Iran were discussing charging transit fees on ships using the strait.

Oman has long served as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran, facilitating diplomatic backchannels for decades. Muscat occupies the southern shore of the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran controls the northern coastline.

Commercial shipping through the passage slowed to a virtual standstill over the weekend ahead of the ceasefire’s expiration. Tracking data from research firm Kpler showed only five cargo vessels passed through the strait Saturday, while none crossed Sunday. That marks a sharp drop from the 31 vessels registered the previous weekend.

The White House insists Washington is in no rush to secure a deal despite rising energy prices and market volatility.

“I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry,” Trump told reporters, adding that Iran should “put up the white flag of surrender.”

Trump also confirmed Monday that U.S. officials have opened informal communications directly with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He reiterated that any final agreement must permanently prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Nigeria

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