In a phone interview, Trump said, “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the sh*t out of them.” The remarks came amid Iranian-Omani discussions over arrangements governing shipping through the strategic waterway.
On August 15, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat had reached an agreement regarding a navigation movement map through the Strait of Hormuz, marking further progress in negotiations over the organization of maritime traffic through the waterway.
According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, reporting from the Strait of Hormuz, then stated that ongoing negotiations between Iran and Oman could lead to a major change in maritime traffic through the waterway, with the southern shipping corridor potentially being discontinued.
Under the arrangements currently being discussed, vessels crossing the strait would be required to coordinate their movements with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy before being allowed to proceed.
The correspondent said most commercial vessels have already shifted to the shipping corridor designated by Iran, indicating that Tehran’s proposed traffic system is increasingly being followed by maritime operators navigating the area.