United States president, Donald Trump, on Monday threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a proposed United States deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions surrounding the strategically important waterway..

Trump issued the threat while speaking to Fox News journalist, Trey Yingst, amid ongoing diplomatic discussions between Oman and Iran over maritime navigation through the strait.

If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst, referring to talks between Oman and Iran on the future control and operation of the waterway, while Washington is also pursuing its own negotiations with Tehran.

Iranian and Omani officials have reportedly been engaged in discussions for weeks on future maritime navigation arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the two sides were working toward a joint declaration.

Trump, however, has repeatedly maintained that the strategic waterway is under US control, despite the continued disruption of maritime traffic. Tehran effectively closed the strait at the beginning of the Middle East war on February 28, according to the account provided.

The latest threat against Oman comes days after Trump said he could go as far as declaring the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory. Iran rejected the claim, insisting that the crucial energy route it has blockaded “will remain Iranian.”

Before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an open international waterway. The route is one of the world’s most important maritime corridors, carrying significant portions of global energy shipments and other commodities.

Trump also escalated his demands against Iran on Monday, calling for Tehran to pay compensation for Americans killed or wounded in conflicts and for Iranian protesters he alleged had been killed by the Iranian government over several decades.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iranian representatives were seeking compensation for damage sustained during the five-month military conflict between Iran and the United States.

He said the issue had not been raised during earlier negotiations but argued that Tehran’s position provided an opportunity for Washington to make its own demands.

“I see that Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last five-month military conflict (started because they will not have a nuclear weapon), even though it was never mentioned in any If our negotiations or meetings!” Trump wrote.

“But it is an interesting idea because now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts, for which they are famous, as led initially by General Soleimani.”

Trump specifically referenced the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, a US Navy destroyer attacked while refuelling at Yemen’s Aden port.

The bombing killed 17 US service members and injured dozens of others. The United States subsequently attributed responsibility for the attack to al-Qaeda.

Trump said his compensation demand should also cover other Americans killed in combat, as well as families of Iranian protesters whom he alleged were killed by the Iranian government.

His threat to bomb Oman, however, represents a significant escalation as Muscat continues to play a diplomatic role in discussions involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. The remarks could further complicate efforts to establish arrangements for maritime navigation through one of the world’s most strategically significant waterways.