Trump threatens to bomb Oman as 60-day Iran talks lapse

The 60-day US-Iran negotiation window lapsed Aug. 17 with no deal, as President Donald Trump threatened to bomb mediator Oman and Tehran warned it would shift to a fully offensive posture to break a US naval blockade on its ports.

"No dialogue is currently taking place between IRGC officials and the Americans, and this lie from Trump is merely a fantasy," said Brig. Gen. Alimohammad Mohebbi, spokesperson for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, dismissing Trump's claim of a direct backchannel with the force.

Trump told Fox News on Aug. 17 that "if Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s--- out of them," and called on Iran to "wave the white flag of surrender." He said he had "no time schedule" and was "not in a hurry," even as the war that began in late February collides with November midterm elections. The Strait of Hormuz handles about 20 percent of global oil consumption, and Trump said last week he is ready to declare it a "territory of the United States."

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran has set a multi-week deadline for Washington to fully implement the June memorandum of understanding, warning of a "timely and precise" military attack to break the blockade if diplomacy fails. With the strait carrying roughly a fifth of the world's oil, any closure risks a sharp spike in crude prices and a flight to safe-haven assets.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the memorandum never set a "60-day deadline," and that the window applied only to talks on sanctions removal and the nuclear issue. Because Washington "seriously violated" the memorandum after signing it, no dialogue has taken place, making "discussion of the 60-day deadline entirely moot," he said.

Iran Rejects the 60-Day Clock

Baghaei said Tehran would not adjust policy "under pressure, ultimatums, or time limits," deciding instead "entirely on the basis of national interest and national security." He ruled out extending the memorandum's negotiation window, per Tasnim News Agency.

Separately, IRGC political deputy Brig. Gen. Yadollah Javani told Fars News Agency that Iran's armed forces would adopt a more "offensive form" of defense, saying every action, "although it has a defensive nature, must take on an offensive form." He cited appointments and directives issued by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week as part of an effort to "reorganize, modernize, and make more effective" Iran's defense doctrine, warning adversaries to "expect strategic surprises."

Oman's Mediating Role Shrinks

Oman has long served as an informal channel between Washington and Tehran. Days before the conflict began, Muscat said the two sides were close to a nuclear deal, a statement that angered the Trump administration; after the war started, Oman publicly criticized US military action, further straining ties. Iran has said it is holding talks with Oman over reopening the strait, which borders both countries and which both Iran and the US have asserted control over.

The last time the strait faced a comparable closure threat, during the 1980s Tanker War, attacks on shipping drove crude prices sharply higher before supply adjustments restored equilibrium. With the negotiation window closed and no new timeline set, the risk premium on crude is likely to widen. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has affirmed the Navy's ability to maintain the blockade indefinitely, while Iran's foreign minister has said the strait will not reopen until Washington returns to the deal. If Tehran follows through on its offensive shift, a direct confrontation in the waterway could disrupt the roughly 20 percent of global oil that transits it daily, pushing Brent and WTI higher and lifting gold and the dollar as investors seek havens.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.