INTERNACIONAL
Trump threatened to ‘blow up’ Oman — why the tiny Gulf kingdom is caught between DC and Iran
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President Donald Trump’s threat to «blow up» Oman if the Gulf kingdom didn’t «behave» has exposed a rare rupture with one of Washington’s most valuable Middle East partners — a country that has spent decades quietly serving as America’s backchannel to Iran.
«The strait’s gotta be open to everybody,» the president said during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. «It’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it; nobody’s going to control it. It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow ‘em up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.»
The remark came amid a dispute over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. The Trump administration has strongly opposed reported discussions involving Iran and Oman over a potential tolling system or joint management arrangement for the strait, arguing such a move would threaten freedom of navigation and give Tehran greater influence over one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The comments reflected a broader dispute over how far Oman should go in its efforts to engage Iran as the two countries discuss proposals related to the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ TOLL WOULD SET ‘DANGEROUS PRECEDENT,’ UN SHIPPING AGENCY WARNS
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi meets Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said at Al Baraka Palace in Muscat, Oman, April 26, 2026. (Oman News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
A drone view shows vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 25, 2026. (Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY via Reuters)
The Omani embassy and the White House could not be reached for comment on the underlying tensions or negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz.
Situated on the southeastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman occupies the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz and has long pursued a foreign policy distinct from many of its Gulf neighbors.
While maintaining close security ties with the U.S., Muscat also has preserved relations with Iran, allowing it to serve as one of the region’s key intermediaries. Oman helped facilitate secret U.S.–Iran talks that paved the way for nuclear negotiations, has repeatedly served as a diplomatic channel between Washington and Tehran and has played a role in negotiations involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
«Oman’s role as the Switzerland of the Middle East has advanced U.S. interests,» April Alley, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital.
«They have facilitated numerous rounds of talks between U.S. and Iranians,» she said. «They were also able to broker a truce between the US and the Houthis in the Red Sea. Their neutrality allows them to be quiet facilitators when adversaries are ready to talk.»
Oman’s value to Washington historically has stemmed from its ability to maintain communication channels with actors that many U.S. partners cannot or will not engage directly.
The Gulf kingdom has served as a go-between in negotiations involving the United States and Iran, supported diplomatic efforts related to Yemen and frequently positioned itself as a neutral intermediary during regional crises.
Yacoubian described that role as «indispensable» to previous diplomatic efforts.
«Oman has long played an important role as a quiet mediator, acting as a go-between for the United States and Iran in various negotiations including for the Obama-era JCPOA and more recently with the Trump administration and its efforts to negotiate with Iran prior to the 12-day war in June 2025,» she said.
President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 27, 2026. (Evan Vucci/Reuters)
A real dispute beneath the rhetoric
While Trump’s remarks drew attention, experts said they reflected a substantive disagreement over the future of the Strait of Hormuz rather than a purely rhetorical outburst.
«I think it was both,» Alley said when asked whether the remarks were simply an unusual threat directed at a longtime U.S. partner or reflected deeper concerns.
«Oman is an important defense partner, and the Trump administration has a record of working with them on mediation initiatives. The President has an unconventional style, but still this comment was shocking.»
«Beyond the shock value, I think it reflects clear frustration on the part of the administration with the Omani approach to the Strait,» she said. «The President is signaling that Oman has gone too far in discussions with Iran on options for opening the Strait that could give Iran administrative control and interfere with freedom of navigation.»
The administration’s concerns center on reports that Iran and Oman have discussed arrangements involving tolls, fees or joint administration of the strategic waterway.
«The administration is right to be concerned about tolls, fees, or joint management of the Strait,» Alley said. «All of these things are a recipe for Iran interfering with freedom of navigation in the long term and they could set a dangerous precedent for other international waterways.»
She warned that if Iran were able to exert administrative control over Hormuz, other Iran-backed groups could seek similar arrangements elsewhere.
«I could see the Houthis trying for the same in the Bab al-Mandeb,» she said.
Mona Yacoubian, senior adviser and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, similarly argued that any arrangement that financially benefits Iran through management of the strait would be cause for concern.
«If in fact under discussion, a joint management scheme that accrues monetary benefit to Iran, Oman, and possibly other GCC countries would be a justifiable cause for U.S. concern as this would undermine broader principles of freedom of navigation and set a worrying precedent globally,» she told Fox News Digital.
Yacoubian said Oman likely is attempting to serve as a bridge between Iran and Gulf Arab states amid concerns over future shipping disruptions in the strait.
«Oman is likely seeking to serve as a bridge between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states,» she said.
But, Yacoubian added, «It is important to underscore that these types of threats are not well-received globally and contribute to an overall erosion of trust in the United States as a credible negotiator and leading global power.»
WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST IRAN — DESPITE ATTACKS ON THEIR SOIL
Oman’s role has not been without controversy. Unlike many of its Gulf neighbors, Muscat has often sought to maintain relationships with rival regional powers even during periods of heightened tension.
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the Middle East Forum, argued that concerns about Muscat extend beyond the current dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
«Oman often acts as Qatar-lite,» Rubin told Fox News Digital. «They like to mediate but, in the past at least, they appear to have turned blind eyes to terror finance and weapons smuggling.»
Rubin pointed to what he described as three longstanding concerns: alleged Iranian weapons smuggling through Oman to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Oman’s hosting of Houthi leaders and what he characterized as financial incentives tied to disruptions in Red Sea shipping.
«It’s no secret that Oman has kind of chosen its own path, and sometimes split the difference between Iran and the rest of the Gulf in ways that have concerned U.S. policymakers,» Daniel Beinam, fellow of the Middle East Institute and former senior State Department official for Middle Eastern affairs, told Fox News Digital.
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Even so, Beinam emphasized the depth of the relationship between the two countries.
«For a century and a half, Oman has been a close partner to the United States,» he said.
middle east, national security, donald trump, foreign policy, iran
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INTERNACIONAL
Intensas lluvias en Costa Rica afectan zonas de Matina, Sarapiquí y Tortuguero, con familias evacuadas y comunidades aisladas
Las intensas precipitaciones de las últimas horas han provocado inundaciones y afectaciones significativas en Matina, Sarapiquí y Tortuguero, zonas ubicadas en las provincias de Limón y Heredia. Según reportes de El Observador, cuerpos de emergencia mantienen operaciones activas para evacuar y asistir a decenas de personas damnificadas, entre ellas menores, adultos mayores y mujeres embarazadas.
De acuerdo con información difundida por El Observador, la Comisión Nacional de Emergencia (CNE) confirmó este domingo la atención prioritaria en Matina de Limón, donde el desbordamiento de un río en Finca Estrada dejó incomunicadas a 22 personas. Equipos de la Cruz Roja Costarricense y el Cuerpo de Bomberos se desplazaron al sitio desde la madrugada para ejecutar labores de rescate y traslado a zonas seguras. Entre los evacuados, resalta el caso de una adulta mayor en condición de encamamiento, quien recibió atención especializada.
El presidente de la CNE, Alejandro Picado, indicó que en Matina se habilitó un albergue temporal para las familias afectadas. Además, la institución reportó el rescate de cuatro personas en Bristol de Matina y la atención a una mujer embarazada en Batán. Según El Observador, la Cruz Roja informó que se logró evacuar a 16 personas, mientras continúan los esfuerzos para asistir a quienes permanecen aislados.
La misma fuente detalló que en Sarapiquí, provincia de Heredia, la situación se mantiene bajo vigilancia permanente. El Comité Municipal de Emergencias realiza monitoreo constante de los ríos, que presentan niveles elevados debido a las lluvias persistentes desde la madrugada. El presidente de la CNE señaló la importancia de este seguimiento, ya que el crecimiento de los cauces representa un riesgo para las comunidades cercanas.
En Tortuguero, ubicado en el cantón de Pococí, los reportes recabados por El Observador dan cuenta de precipitaciones intensas, vientos fuertes y oleaje considerable. El Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) advirtió sobre la continuidad de las lluvias en la región del Caribe, así como sobre la saturación de suelos en cuencas vulnerables, especialmente en el cantón de Turrialba. La advertencia incluye la posibilidad de desbordamiento de ríos y quebradas, con más del 95% de saturación del suelo en zonas montañosas.
Durante la jornada del sábado, la municipalidad de Turrialba reportó emergencias por la crecida de ríos, situación que puso en riesgo varias viviendas. El alcalde, Carlos Hidalgo, informó que al menos cuatro casas quedaron al borde del cauce por el aumento repentino del nivel del agua.
El IMN pronosticó para este domingo una disminución gradual de los vientos, pero no descartó la presencia de lluvias en distintos puntos del país, con aguaceros de intensidad variable en el Caribe y el este del Valle Central. Para la tarde, se prevén precipitaciones más intensas en la vertiente del Pacífico y sectores montañosos, acompañadas de tormenta eléctrica.
El monitoreo de emergencias se extiende a otras comunidades de Limón, como Siquirres, Hamburgo, Islona y Dos Bocas. Además, el río Sixaola en Talamanca mostró niveles elevados, según los reportes recogidos por El Observador. Las operaciones de la Cruz Roja y los bomberos continúan en las zonas impactadas, con equipos desplegados para atender las necesidades urgentes de la población.
Las autoridades recomiendan a los habitantes de estas regiones estar atentos a los comunicados oficiales y mantener precaución ante el riesgo de inundaciones y deslizamientos.
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Every member of the «Squad,» an informal left-wing congressional caucus, has endorsed Abdul El-Sayed ahead of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, according to his campaign website.
The Squad is made up of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Summer Lee, D-Pa., Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Greg Casar, D-Texas.
Many of the squad’s current and former members have past or ongoing affiliations with the Democratic Socialists of America, an organization El-Sayed is attempting to distance himself from as he attempts to moderate ahead of a swing-state general election.
The unified endorsements sharpen the ideological stakes of the Tuesday primary, linking El-Sayed to the party’s most prominent progressive bloc even as he rejects the socialist label and seeks to present himself as a viable candidate in a battleground state. The support also gives Republicans an early line of attack should El-Sayed defeat the more centrist Stevens and advance to the general election.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is among the members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
DEM PRIMARY ERUPTS AS ESTABLISHMENT FAVORITE DISMISSES RIVAL AS ‘CELEBRITY CANDIDATE’
«The entire Squad has now endorsed Abdul El-Sayed to carry on its radical, socialist, anti-American agenda in the U.S. Senate, and they will be rejected by Michiganders at the ballot box,» National Republican Senatorial Committee regional press secretary Samantha Cantrell told Fox News Digital.
Casar was the most recent Squad member to endorse El-Sayed, throwing his support behind him Thursday.
«Abdul El-Sayed is showing what it means to run a bold, pro-working class campaign,» Casar said. «House progressives need strong partners in the Senate in order to put money in your pocket, get money out of politics, and win Medicare for All. I’m proud to endorse Abdul.»
SOCIALIST-BACKED DEM WHO RIPPED THE WEALTHY CRACKS STATE’S TOP 1%, TAX RETURNS SHOW
Every member of the «Squad,» an informal left-wing congressional caucus, has endorsed Abdul El-Sayed ahead of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
Casar, Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Lee all have current or former Democratic Socialists of America affiliations. El-Sayed at one point even appeared at a Democratic Socialists of America event alongside Tlaib.
El-Sayed headlined that event, a fundraiser that brought in roughly $10,000 for the Detroit Democratic Socialists of America, and was photographed next to Tlaib behind a table with a poster on it depicting a hand labeled «DSA» choking a snake labeled «capitalism.»
The Michigan Senate hopeful attended and spoke at six Democratic Socialists of America events between 2017 and 2020, Fox News Digital previously reported. Organizers affiliated with the socialist organization have described El-Sayed as «a longtime friend of Detroit DSA.»
ABDUL EL-SAYED SAYS RALLYING WITH HASAN PIKER DOESN’T MEAN HE ENDORSES ‘AMERICA DESERVED 9/11’ REMARK
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Sen. Bernie Sanders join hands following a campaign rally on July 18, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Despite pulling in endorsements from socialists and his longtime association with the Democratic Socialists of America, El-Sayed rejects the socialist label and has distanced himself from the group.
«I’m not technically or practically DSA,» El-Sayed told The Wall Street Journal in early July.
In an interview with CNN, he said, «I am not somebody who is a socialist. I believe in capitalism, I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated.»
El-Sayed faces off against Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary Tuesday. Stevens is widely viewed as the more centrist of the two. Polls generally show El-Sayed leading Stevens by a comfortable margin, according to the New York Times.
The El-Sayed campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
the squad, rashida tlaib, ilhan omar, alexandria ocasio cortez, politics
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