Trump Threatens to Bomb Oman if It ‘Gets in the Way’ of US-Iran Talks

WASHINGTON, Aug 17: US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened military action against Oman if it interferes with Washington’s negotiations with Iran, while revealing that the United States is in direct contact with officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News when asked about Oman’s role in negotiations involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said Saturday that it had reached an agreement with Oman on a shipping route map for the Strait of Hormuz following weeks of technical negotiations.

Trump also called on Iran to raise a “white flag of surrender,” saying Tehran was made up of “good poker players” but was “dying.”

The US president confirmed that Washington maintains a backchannel with the IRGC and is communicating directly with its officials.

“We have a backchannel with the IRGC. We are speaking directly with the IRGC officials in Iran,” Trump said.

On Gaza, Trump said Israel should not be carrying out strikes in the enclave, claiming that Hamas had agreed to lay down its weapons. He also confirmed that Washington maintains a separate communication channel with Hamas.

“We have a different channel with Hamas, and ultimately they are giving up their guns,” he said.

Trump’s remarks come as Washington continues efforts to implement his Gaza peace plan, which calls for Hamas to disarm and for Israeli forces to withdraw from the enclave.

Asked about Israeli politics, Trump said he believed it was “most appropriate” for him to stay out of Israel’s elections, although he did not rule out endorsing a candidate.

“I think it's most appropriate for me to stay out of Israeli elections, but I may endorse somebody,” he said.