U.S. President Donald Trump said he would bomb Oman if it interfered with U.S. activities in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said secret communication channels existed with officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Arguing that only a small portion of the U.S. munitions in Iran had been used, Trump claimed that Tehran possessed many intermediate-level weapons.
Trump also said former U.S. President Joe Biden had provided advanced weapons systems to Ukraine and stated that Tehran must surrender as the agreement between Iran and the United States expired. Trump argued that he was in no hurry and that the U.S. naval blockade of Iran was creating economic pressure, claiming that Iran was bluffing on the issue.
Agreement and conflict in the Strait of Hormuz
An agreement was reached between Iran and the United States on June 14 through Pakistani mediation. In the first phase, it was agreed that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened and that Iran would not charge fees for 60 days for passage through the strategic waterway in exchange for the United States releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
After the agreement, the United States did not release Iran’s frozen assets and designated an alternative route through Omani territorial waters for passages through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran regarded these steps as a violation of the agreement.
Iran restricted passage through the strait and struck some vessels attempting to pass without authorization. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz turned into a conflict on July 8, and the fighting lasted approximately two weeks.
Iran resumed talks with Oman, which borders the Strait of Hormuz, to establish safe passage routes for vessels.
Trump comments on Israeli elections and Hamas
Commenting on the elections scheduled to take place in Israel in October, Trump said staying out of the elections was the most appropriate option, but that he could support one of the candidates.
Trump said they were communicating with Hamas through different channels and that the group would disarm. He said Israel should not launch attacks on Gaza.
In another statement about Iran, Trump said the top priority was to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
