US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has threatened to sanction the Sultanate of Oman, an ally of the United States, if it cooperates with Tehran to control the Strait of Hormuz, reports AFP. His claims come a day after President Trump threatened to “pulverize” Oman, sparking speculation that he may have again made a mix-up by mentioning the sultanate instead of Iran.
“The United States government will not tolerate any attempt to impose a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz. Oman, in particular, should know that the U.S. Treasury will aggressively target any actor involved—directly or indirectly—in imposing tolls in the Strait, and that any complicit partners will be sanctioned,” Scott Bessent wrote on X.
“All nations should directly reject any attempt by Iran to disrupt trade flows. The days of Tehran terrorizing the region and the world are over,” Bessent continued.
Trump threatened to “pulverize” Oman
A day before, US President Donald Trump made a surprising statement threatening to “pulverize” Oman, which was seen as a confusion between Iran and Oman.
“We will monitor the area, but no one will control it (the Strait of Hormuz). This is part of the negotiations we are having. They (the Iranians, no) would like to control it. No one will control it. It is international waters, and Oman will behave like the others or we will have to pulverize them,” he threatened.
He responded as follows when asked about possible future control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz by Oman and Iran, a scenario he rejected.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's statement on Oman. The Omani embassy in Washington also did not respond to a similar request.
The Treasury led by Scott Bessent, which coordinates the imposition of US sanctions, has threatened to blacklist individuals and organizations that will pay Iran a cross-strait toll.
