CIREBON NEWS – The Strait of Hormuz conflict is getting more complicated. After Iran closed the most important waterway in the world, now there is the issue that Oman will also control the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and Oman are on different sides of the Strait of Hormuz. That allows Tehran and Muscat to cooperate to manage revenue from Strait of Hormuz toll fees.
Responding to the issue, President Donald Trump signaled that the United States (US) would attack its ally, Oman, if the country tried to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February.
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According to Reuters, Trump made the remarks after Iranian state television reported that it had obtained a draft of an informal agreement that would reopen the vital waterway, with Iran and Oman jointly managing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
“No, the strait will be open to everyone,” Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “We will monitor it, but no one will control it. That’s part of the negotiations we are having,” he said.
“These are international waters. And Oman will behave like any other country, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine,” Trump said.
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Oman, a key US ally, acted as a mediator in talks about Iran’s nuclear program until the talks were suspended by the conflict.
Iran and Oman lie on opposite sides of the narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles about 25% of global maritime oil trade and 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.
Iran closed the passage to ships from “enemy countries” after US-Israeli airstrikes, while the US declared its own blockade of Iranian ports in April. Tehran has since insisted on its “sovereign right” to regulate traffic through the strait and collect duties.
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Iran’s peace terms reportedly include demands for compensation, the withdrawal of US troops from the region, and an end to Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza. The US has demanded that Iran completely dismantle its nuclear program, which Tehran says is entirely peaceful.***
