CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman because he is unhappy that the country is close to reaching a deal with Iran to manage maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, two regional officials said Tuesday, a day after Trump leveled the threat. The officials said the Trump administration has told Oman that it opposes parts of the deal yet to be announced, including joint Iranian and Omani management of the exit passage route that is critical to global oil and natural gas supplies. The officials were briefed on the US position and how the administration views Oman’s position. Meanwhile, a ship was hit by a shell as it sailed out of the strait, and a cargo ship suffered a “constructive total loss” due to multiple shells off the coast of Yemen, according to the British military’s maritime monitoring agency. The UAE Defense Ministry said two ballistic missiles were launched from Iran towards the UAE. An Iranian official said the strait would not reopen until the United States meets Iran’s conditions. The United States believes Oman has not been tough enough on Iran. The United States believes Oman has not been tough enough in its negotiations with Iran and is unhappy with Oman’s agreement to charge voluntary fees on ships, even though the charges are related to maritime safety and environmental protection, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists. Trump on Monday threatened to bomb Oman as he works with Iran on a deal to open the strait and pave the way for the United States and Iran to resume negotiations to end the war. On Tuesday he posted a map on social media showing the strait as a US territory. The president first mentioned the idea in an informal comment last week. On Monday, he told reporters in the Oval Office, “I like the idea of declaring it territory,” without providing details. On Tuesday, the White House addressed Trump’s comments in the Oval Office and declined to comment further on Oman. Iran addresses Trump’s ‘hoax’ over Strait Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump’s social media post describing the Strait as US territory. “Just as Trump correctly spelled the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, his deception over the Strait of Hormuz will soon be corrected, or we will correct the delusions of this man deceived by him,” Gharibabadi wrote in X. Subscribe to Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the day’s biggest headlines. Trump’s comment on Monday was not the first time he has threatened Oman. In May, he told reporters during a cabinet meeting that Oman “will behave like everyone else, or we will have to blow them up.” Iran reiterated on Tuesday that Tehran plans to maintain its control over maritime traffic until Washington meets its conditions. “Until the United States fulfills its commitments under the agreement, including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, lifting oil sanctions, ending military threats and operations on all fronts, and implementing the other conditions to which it committed, the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened,” said Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary spokesman and a negotiator in previous talks with the United States. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the Iranian-Omani deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations for a “comprehensive and permanent agreement that addresses all concerns and improves regional security and stability.” The statement came after a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi. But he did not address Trump’s latest threat against Oman. The president insists the strait is open as more attacks are reported. Trump said Tuesday that the United States has no planned talks with Iran but insisted the strait is “open and operational,” despite limited traffic, a reported ship attack and the end Monday of the 60-day negotiation period between the countries. reported in the region.Both missiles fired at the United Arab Emirates fell into the sea, the UAE Ministry of Defense said. No damage or injuries were reported. There was no immediate statement from Iran. The ministry later said assessments showed the missiles were targeting maritime traffic. It was unclear whether they were targeting UAE ships directly or the country’s territorial waters. In the weeks after the United States and Israel launched war against Iran on February 28, the United Arab Emirates was frequently attacked by Iranian missiles and drones, but the attack reported on Tuesday was the first in weeks. An unidentified projectile hit a ship on Tuesday morning in the strait off the coast of Oman, damaging the engine room and causing one casualty, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre. The monitoring agency did not reveal any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was unclear if the crew member was killed. or injured. The agency said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and authorities were investigating. Elsewhere, the cargo ship that was considered lost was struck about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) southeast of Mokha, Yemen, the UKMTO center reported. The center did not identify the projectiles or those responsible. The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in July resumed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and stepped up attacks on Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The new attacks have threatened shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another key global trade route. In other developments, the Houthis said they fired drones at an oil refinery in neighboring Saudi Arabia, the latest attack that threatened to reignite Yemen’s civil war and open another front in the Middle East. The attack targeted a facility run by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state oil company, according to a report by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. There were no immediate reports of damage or comment from Saudi Arabia.___Associated Press writer Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.
