Why did Trump threaten to destroy 'American ally' Oman?

 

Why did Trump threaten to destroy 'American ally' Oman?

 

US President Donald Trump made a statement to reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday in which he said that “Oman has to behave like everyone else, or we will have to destroy them.”

Trump made the remarks in response to reports that Oman and Iran were discussing a plan to impose tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Bloomberg first reported on May 21 that Iran was in talks with Oman about imposing tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The New York Times later reported, citing two sources familiar with the discussions, that the discussions were not about imposing a direct toll on ships passing through Hormuz, but about charging ships for services.

 

Trump’s threat to destroy Oman has surprised observers because Oman has long been considered one of the United States’ closest Arab Gulf allies.

The two countries have decad

es-old defense cooperation agreements that give the U.S. military access to Omani ports and air bases, which are considered critical to U.S. military operations in the Gulf and Indian Ocean region.

Oman also has a free trade agreement with the United States. Oman has long had good relations with the United States, but is not a member of Trump’s Abraham Accords.

Oman, a close U.S. ally

Oman has long played a key role as a mediator between the United States and Iran and was also instrumental in secret back-channel talks that preceded the 2015 nuclear deal.

Oman was hosting indirect talks between the two sides before the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28.

In early February, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met in Muscat for nuclear talks, but those talks ultimately failed.

Muscat, meanwhile, has maintained its ties with Iran and has sought to portray itself as a mediator in regional disputes.

On Wednesday, Trump also suggested that any future deal with Iran could be conditional on Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries normalizing relations with Israel.

Trump said that if he doesn’t sign, “I don’t think we should make the deal.”

Although Trump said last week that a deal to end the Middle East war was close, on Wednesday he signaled that he was in no hurry to finalize any deal.

Why is Oman different from other Gulf states?

Oman has generally played a more quiet and behind-the-scenes role than Gulf states such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Oman was the only GCC country to congratulate Mojtaba Khamenei on his election as Iranian supreme leader.

Just before the attack on Iran, Oman’s foreign minister appealed for more time for talks in an interview on CBS News.

In March, Foreign Minister Al-Busaidi wrote an article in The Economist warning that the US was damaging its reputation in the region by continuing its war with Israel. He wrote that “the US has lost control of its foreign policy.”

Trump's new condition

The full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial for about 20 percent of the world's oil trade, has become a central issue in talks to end the US-Iran war.

Iran effectively closed the sea route shortly after US and Israeli strikes in February.

Despite Trump's April ceasefire with Iran, which stipulated the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the route remains largely under Iranian control, sending global gas prices soaring.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warned last week that the near-halt of sea traffic through Hormuz could threaten a global food crisis.

But Trump reiterated on Wednesday that Iran would not gain control of the Strait of Hormuz as part of any peace deal.

"The Strait of Hormuz must remain open to everyone. It is an international sea route. No one can control it," he said. We will monitor it, but no one will control it. That is part of our discussions.’

After he cabinet meeting, the US State Department also reiterated Trump’s strong remarks through a social media post.