When Donald Trump threatens to "spray" Oman, an ally of the United States

Slip of the tongue or real plan? To everyone’s surprise, Donald Trump publicly attacked Oman, which he threatened to “pulvériser” during a council of ministers at the White House, Wednesday May 27. Doubt remains as to whether he is really targeting this country allied to the United States, which plays a mediator role in the conflict in the Middle East, or whether he has confused it with Iran. During the same meeting, the American president also appeared to be mixed between Iran and Venezuela.

“Oman will behave like the others or they will have to be pulverized. They know it”warned Donald Trump during a council of ministers broadcast live on American television. Asked about the future of the Strait of Hormuz, this strategic axis will remain “open to everyone”he also promised.

His statements followed Iranian state television’s broadcast of a draft agreement under discussion, suggesting that Iran would retain control of the Strait of Hormuz, in cooperation with Oman. A scenario rejected by the American president who added: “These are international waters. We will monitor it, but no one will control it.”

The Sultanate of Oman, located on the Arabian Peninsula, is nevertheless an ally of the United States. The country also plays the role of intermediary between Washington and Tehran in the conflict between them. Donald Trump’s threatening statements have therefore taken “court observers”notes AFP, which did not obtain a response from the White House to “his request for clarification”to find out if the American president had confused Oman and Iran.

On the Iranian side, the reaction was not long in coming. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the “threatening rhetoric from American officials against Iran and several countries in the region”. He also strongly condemned the “continued ceasefire violations” by the United States, particularly after air strikes “conducted in recent days” against southern Iran.

These incidents occur despite ongoing diplomatic exchanges between Tehran and Washington aimed at developing an agreement to end the war, which began on February 28. On Wednesday, Donald Trump also threatened to “finish the job” in Iran, indicating that he was not “satisfied” with the agreement being finalized by Tehran. This framework agreement, described as “total invention” by the United States, prioritizes ending the war “on all fronts”including in Lebanon, where violence continues despite a ceasefire theoretically in force since April 17.

During the cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, the American president also declared that the American economy remained flourishing, “despite the conflict with Venezuela, which no longer has a navy, which no longer has an air force“. Comments which also led to confusion to the extent that Donald Trump usually uses this description of a country annihilated militarily to evoke Iran.

Especially since this is not the first time that Donald Trump has confused country names. He has already spoken of Albania instead of Armenia, claiming to have “réussi à arêter la guerre entre l’Albanie [au lieu de l’Arménie] and l’Azerbaïdjan”in October 2025. Last January, at the Davos economic forum in Switzerland, he spoke several times about Iceland instead of Greenland in his speech. “Iceland has already cost us a lot of money”had thus notably affirmed the American billionaire.