Donald Trump threatens to “explode” Oman if the country allies with Iran

The threat is “extraordinary†(the Guardian) or “apparemment improvisée†(Al-Jazeera). Comments are a minimum “remarkable†, pour The Hill. On Wednesday, during a meeting with his cabinet, Donald Trump was asked about rumors of discussions between Oman and Iran for a temporary toll on the Strait of Hormuz. “No one is going to control it. These are international waters. Oman will have to behave, like everyone else, or we will have to blow them up… a répondu le président américain.

“The comments surprised regional observers, given Oman’s status as one of Washington’s closest allies among the Gulf countries. reports Al-Monitor. “The two nations have maintained military cooperation for decades, allowing U.S. forces access to Omani ports and air bases… recalls the site, pointing out that Muscat also benefits from a free trade treaty with the United States and that, even if it is less endowed than Qatar or less powerful than Pakistan, the country has played the role of mediator with Iran in the past.

The remark caused so much surprise that several media outlets wondered if Trump had not made a mistake, confusing Oman and Iran. But “the State Department amplified the president’s harsh rhetoric in a post on social media†, notes Politico.

“Trump’s apparent threat Wednesday illustrates his growing reliance on military power in his foreign policy, estimated Al-Jazeera. But critics were quick to denounce the threat as irresponsible… observes the Qatari media, citing the NGO Dawn, which compared these remarks to those of a “chef from the mafia†.

No pressure for a deal

From son côté, CNN calculated that the American president had “attacked or threatened one country in thirteen†on the planet during his two mandates. “When he was a presidential candidate, Donald Trump gleefully portrayed his opponents as trigger-happy interventionists, ready to launch the United States into all sorts of distant wars.†, notice the chain.

But once president, he attacked, in one way or another, around fifteen countries, including Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Greenland, Colombia and Cuba. He therefore added Oman to his list on Wednesday. “It was all the more striking because we had the impression that Trump had made his remark with a certain lightness, something said without much thought… continues CNN.

Middle East Eye (MEE) understands that “the Trump administration has had a grudge against Oman for several monthsâ€. However, note MEEthe country, whose relations with the United States date back to the 18th^e siècle, “courted the Trump family like other Gulf Statesâ€. A hotel and a golf course associated with the billionaire are, for example, under construction near the capital.

On the front of negotiations with Tehran, Iran “really wants to make a deal. They’re not there yet. We’re not happy but we’ll be or we’ll just have to finish the job… declared Trump, pointing to Pete Hegseth, his Minister of Defense. “I don’t care about the midterm elections… he told the media, “to insist that he had maximum negotiating power with Iran and felt no pressure to secure a deal,†underlines The Washington Post.

“It is obvious that Trump, who is looking for a way out of this strategic impasse, alternates between threats and calls for an agreement… commented “on Twitter Ebrahim Azizi, one of the Iranian negotiators. This morning, the Revolutionary Guards targeted an American base in the region after strikes carried out by the United States in the south of the country.