President Trump stated Monday that he would consider military action against Oman if the Gulf nation interferes with U.S. efforts to pressure Iran into a nuclear agreement. The statement follows reports that Oman and Iran are nearing a deal to establish new shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies.
Tensions in the region have escalated since the start of a U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran on Feb. 28. While Oman has previously attempted to mediate between the U.S. and Iran, its geographic position on the southern coast of the strait has now placed it at the center of negotiations regarding maritime transit. Iran has stated that any agreement on shipping lanes requires the U.S. to lift its naval blockade, pay war damages, and unfreeze Iranian assets.
According to Axios, the U.S. military has maintained a quiet shipping corridor along the Omani coast for several weeks. This operation has reportedly facilitated the movement of approximately 15 to 20 tankers, transporting about 10 million barrels of oil per day to the global market. Despite these movements, President Trump has claimed "total control" over the waterway and recently shared an image labeling the strait as U.S. territory.
The conflict specifically involves military personnel from the U.S., Israel, and Iran, but the political pressure now extends to Omani officials and international shipping companies. Analysts like Jon Hoffman of the Cato Institute note that the U.S. administration is facing pressure from Gulf allies to make concessions to keep the strait open, while President Trump has maintained that he will not allow the implementation of tolls or Iranian conditions. If negotiations between Oman and Iran proceed under Tehran's terms, it would require the U.S. to reverse its current sanctions and blockade policies.
What happens next depends on the expiration of previous diplomatic frameworks and ongoing quiet negotiations involving U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. A 60-day memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran officially expired on Monday, leaving the legal status of regional transit in a standoff. No specific date has been set for the ratification of the proposed Oman-Iran shipping deal, as Tehran continues to link the agreement to the removal of U.S. naval forces.