Trump's shock threat to bomb Oman: US President warns ally over Iran deal and Hormuz crisis

Oman is a key US ally in the Middle East and has been involved in separate negotiations with Iran and the US aimed at reopening the strategically vital waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy supplies, has remained largely shut for the past six months amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict, which began on February 28.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said Washington would respond if Oman obstructed US efforts to reopen the strait.

Asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Monday whether he had run out of patience with Oman, Trump was quoted by the broadcaster as saying, "No, I don't think they behaved very well, but we'd handle them very easily, just like we do other things."

The 60-day negotiation period between the US and Iran ended on August 17. The future of talks between the two countries remains uncertain following the expiry of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Asked by BBC News whether he was seeking an extension of the MoU, Trump replied, "No."

Oman, which borders the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz, has maintained a neutral position in the conflict but has itself come under Iranian strikes. The country is currently playing a key mediating role in efforts to reopen the waterway.

Trump also said making the Strait of Hormuz a US territory was "a great idea".

"We control it. We control it with the blockade," he told Fox News. "I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control over the strait."

He added that Iran could potentially disrupt shipping by placing mines in the water, but claimed that the US blockade had been "very effective".

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran and Oman had agreed on a map for a new maritime traffic route through the Strait of Hormuz, Xinhua News Agency reported.