Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it 'gets in way'
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Oman, saying the US would bomb the nation if it "gets in the way" of US control in the Strait of Hormuz. "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s*** out of them," Trump said during an interview with Fox News's Trey Yingst. The remarks come as a 60-day deadline for reaching an agreement to end the Iran war under a memorandum of understanding expired on Monday.
Diplomatic channels
Iran should 'put up the white flag of surrender'
Trump told Fox News that Iran should "put up the white flag of surrender."
"What we have used (in munitions) so far is peanuts," he said, adding that he has "no schedule" for resolving the conflict.
"I'm not in a hurry...the midterms have nothing to do with my thinking," Trump added.
In the same interview, Trump confirmed that his administration has a backchannel with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials.
Diplomatic progress
We have a backchannel with the IRGC: Trump
"We have a backchannel with the IRGC. We are speaking directly with the IRGC officials in Iran," he said.
Axios reported on Sunday that Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani had been tapped as the secret backchannel, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
Reportedly, Barzani lived in Iran during the 1980s Iraq-Iran War, attended the University of Tehran, speaks Farsi fluently, and has personal relationships with some IRGC members.
Nuclear concern
Trump reaffirms commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapon
Trump also reiterated his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
"The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon," he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump withdrew the US from the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran during his first term in 2018.
Ongoing negotiations
Iran, Oman reach agreement on Hormuz transit route map
Trump's threat comes after Iran announced it had reached an understanding with Oman on a proposed transit route for ships through Hormuz.
"An understanding has been reached regarding the map of...transit route. But we had planned, and still plan, to finalize the understanding in the form of a package: The map plus a joint statement," said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.
The proposed arrangement would allow vessels to transit without paying fees or tolls during the interim period.