Trump threatened to bomb Oman. Oman has questions.

Trump threatened to bomb Oman. Oman has questions. - The Washington Post

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Trump threatened to bomb Oman. Oman has questions.

The small country, known for discretion and neutrality, was a mediator with Iran at the U.S.’s request. Omanis wonder what the president heard to trigger him.

Today at 8:43 a.m. EDT

12 min

*A portrait of Oman's Sultan Haitham ‌bin Tariq hangs from the ceiling of the Muntrah Souk in Muscat, Oman on Sept. 7, 2026. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Post). (Heidi Levine/FTWP)*

By

Rachel Chason

MUSCAT, Oman — The threat felt like it came out of nowhere. “If Oman gets in the way,” President Donald Trump told Fox News, referring to his efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, “we’ll bomb the s--- out of them.”

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