Iran will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region if diplomacy with the U.S. fails, a senior Iranian official said.
The announcement comes as Donald Trump warned he would bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a U.S. deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. President made the threat as Omani officials have been carrying talks with Iran in recent weeks about future maritime navigation and control of the strait. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry said earlier on Monday that the two sides were working on a joint declaration.
Trump has repeatedly claimed the strait, which Iran closed in February, at the beginning of the war, is under U.S. control despite traffic remaining restricted. Last Friday, the U.S. president even claimed he would declare Hormuz part of U.S. territory.
In an interview for American media, Trump said Iran should “put up the white flag of surrender” and claimed there is a direct backchannel between his administration and officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The latest threats launched by Iran indicate a potential shift in Iranian policy—one relying on offense rather than defense. With the Strait of Hormuz carrying significant proportions of global energy shipments, as well as other commodities, both countries know the international waterway carries financial importance, as well as strategic positioning as world leaders. As Oman attempts to mediate the U.S.–Iran war, countries all over the world analyze the implications for global energy prices and regional economic stability.
