Topline

President Donald Trump on Monday reportedly told Fox News the U.S. would attack Oman if it interferes with the U.S. naval blockade against Iran, marking a new threat against a Gulf State widely viewed as neutral and peaceful.

Key Facts

Oman and Iran are in talks to manage shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly claimed the U.S. will control the strait and has implemented a blockade on ships coming in and out of Iran as he pressures Iran to give up control of the key oil passage.

Trump said “has no time schedule” and is “not in a hurry” to reach an agreement with Iran to end the war, according to Fox.

NEWS PEG

Trump made the comments on the 60-day deadline to establish a permanent peace agreement with Iran and an end to its nuclear program.The deadline was set through the memorandum of understanding Trump and Iran signed in June, which also implemented a 60-day ceasefire, among other terms, though the agreement has largely unraveled as Iran and the U.S. can’t agree on a path forward regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

What To Watch For

Trump’s comments Monday suggest no certain end to the conflict with Iran and signals it could widen into a regional conflict. The involvement of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in recent weeks have already broadened the war’s footprint in the Middle East, as the group has launched attacks on Saudi Arabia and implemented a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

Key Background

Trump has escalated his rhetoric against Iran in recent days as negotiations between Iran and the U.S. have largely stalled over the Strait of Hormuz disagreement, though Trump suggested to Fox News on Monday back-channel communications with Tehran are ongoing. On Friday, Trump insisted the strait would become a "territory of the United States” once “we finish defeating Iran.” Iranian officials blasted Trump’s remarks, with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi writing on X on Saturday that Trump needed to “accept the reality” that the strait will remain in Iranian control, accusing him of “fanciful delusions.” In another sign Trump has no intention of dialing down the conflict, he told Americans they should accept higher gas prices as a result of the war, telling the crowd at a Friday rally “a tiny little bit more for your gasoline” is worth it to prevent “a very evil country” from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Earlier in the day, he said the USS Abraham Lincoln’s record-long deployment in the Middle East—which has prompted concerns among family members of sailors and lawmakers about conditions onboard, along with the mental and physical toll—hasn’t lasted “nearly long enough.”