Rubio Meets Oman Envoy Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions

Rubio meets Omani ambassador amid Strait of Hormuz tensions, days after Trump warning

Washington, August 22

In a post shared on X, the Oman Embassy said, "H.E. Ambassador Talal Al Rahbi met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of an event organized by the U.S. Department of State at the Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C."

"During their conversation, they exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest, commended the strong cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the United States, and underscored the importance of continued coordination and cooperation in addressing shared issues and challenges," it added.

Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump warned Oman against interfering in Washington's position on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States would take military action if Muscat obstructs efforts related to the strategic waterway, amid ongoing Iran-Oman talks on ensuring safe commercial navigation.

During a phone call with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump discussed the situation with Iran as the 60-day memorandum of understanding signed in June to open negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in West Asia approached its deadline.

Asked about parallel talks between Iran and Oman over control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the sh** out of them."

Trump also said Iran should "raise the white flag of surrender" while adding that he had "no time schedule".

"I'm not in a hurry," the US President said.

He further said the US naval blockade was continuing to put economic pressure on Iran, despite Tehran's public statements. Trump described Iranians as "good poker players" but claimed they were "dying", adding that upcoming US midterm elections had no role in his decisions.

Speaking about US military resources in West Asia, Trump said, "What we've used so far is peanuts." He added that the United States had a large number of mid-level weapons, while some advanced systems had been provided to Ukraine by former President Joe Biden.

Trump's remarks came as Iran and Oman continued discussions on establishing a mechanism for secure commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The two countries have finalised a joint shipping route map for the maritime corridor following weeks of technical negotiations.

The talks stem from an Iran-US memorandum of understanding that tasked Tehran and Muscat with developing a new navigation framework for the strategic waterway.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the talks with Oman were continuing and aimed at ensuring "both the sovereignty of the two coastal states and the safe passage of commercial ships in this waterway."

Baghaei said the delay in concluding the discussions was due to the complexity of the issue, involvement of multiple actors and what he described as "destructive efforts" by parties seeking instability in the region.

"Keep in mind that insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz was imposed on us, on the region and on the entire world, and the reason for it was the illegal military action of the United States," Baghaei said, referring to efforts to establish arrangements for the waterway.

He added that Iran and Oman were continuing serious discussions on a possible joint statement and remained committed to developing a mechanism addressing their interests and concerns.

"One factor is the complexity of the issue," Baghaei said, adding that another factor was "the multiplicity of actors who are trying to be influential in this process."

"The third and most important factor is the destructive efforts of some malicious parties who have shown that they never care about the peace and security of the region and want the region to always be in chaos," he added.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key global energy transit route and has remained a major point of tension amid escalating disputes between Washington and Tehran.

— ANI