Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Hormuz deal

US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway for Gulf exports, as a 60-day deadline to end the war with Iran expired.

“If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News, referring to talks between Oman and Iran on control of the strait while Washington pursues its own talks with Tehran. He also called for Iran to surrender.

Tehran and Muscat have been talking for weeks on future maritime navigation arrangements through the shipping route. Iran's foreign ministry said earlier Monday that the two sides were working on a joint declaration.

Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner told Fox News that the United States and Iran were having “very positive and active conversations,” but said there was “not a lot of trust” between the countries. Kushner said Trump would be patient and “doesn't want to rush to a deal.”

Earlier Monday, Trump said Iranian officials wanted a deal but not one he considered necessary, and repeated that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the 60-day deadline for negotiations in a June memorandum was “irrelevant” because he said the United States had violated the deal early on.