Oman flames anger: Trump is a thug and Muscat cannot be blackmailed

US President Donald Trump's threats against Oman and the Strait of Hormuz sparked outrage in Omani circles after he announced on Wednesday evening that the strait would be "open to all" and that the United States would "guard it", warning Muscat against "interfering" and threatening that it would "have to be blown up" if it did not act as he wanted. Statements described in Amman as the language of political bullying and blackmail that is not appropriate for the relations of states.

No official response yet

There was no immediate statement from the Omani Foreign Ministry, according to reports, but  prominent Omani elites reacted sharply to Trump's statements, stressing that the Sultanate is not governed by threats and is not subject to the logic of dictates. The editor-in-chief of Al-Roya newspaper, writer and analyst Hatem Al-Taie, said Trump's remarks reflect a "deep and complex crisis" he is experiencing, adding that the US president is "unable to fight or open the strait," and that Arab countries "have not responded to his call for free and compulsory normalization." Al-Taie linked Trump's threat to his inability to pass " The failed Abraham Accords."

For his part, academic Ali bin Masoud al-Mashani said that "America's follies and provocative policies" are what have made Iran's regional power and contributed to the rise of resistance factions in several Arab arenas. Academic Saif al-Mamari said that Trump's "offensive remarks towards Oman" are part of repeated attempts to marginalize the Omani role in rejecting the US-Israeli war on Iran, noting that "media arms linked to the Zionist project" have tried to portray the Omani position as gray.

Researcher Nasr al-Busaidi described Trump as a "lunatic and a terrorist", considering that the Sultanate "exposed his truth" before the war, and revealed his submission to the "Zionist project". Political researcher Mohammed Saeed al-Futaisi stressed that the Sultanate of Oman is "a regional power that does not speak in the language of bargaining or dependence", citing the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said's assertions that Oman "believes in peace and coexistence, but is capable of protecting itself and defending its sovereignty".

Oman is not run in the language of threats

"Amman is not run by the language of threats, and it does not bow to provocative statements," said Laila Al-Hebrew, stressing that "those who bet on Oman's silence do not know the meaning of prestige and sovereignty."

 Academic Zaher al-Ghusseini called for Trump's statements to be read within their "political and semantic contexts," explaining that Oman's international image is built on its stable diplomatic role as a reliable mediator in crisis management, and that Trump's rhetoric "mixes provocation and negotiation."

In the same context, Abdullah Baaboud, an academic specializing in Gulf affairs and international relations, stressed that Oman "will continue its peaceful approach based on neutrality and dialogue," will not submit to "the dictates of Trump and Netanyahu," and will not sign the "useless Abraham Accords," adhering to the Arab Peace Initiative and the two-state solution.

Baaboud described Trump's language as "crude, reckless and dangerous," especially as it targets "a peaceful and neutral country and a trading partner of Washington for decades."

The editor-in-chief of Ishraq magazine, Dr. Humaid Al-Saidi, also condemned what he described as "aggressive and irresponsible threats" against the Sultanate, considering them "a serious violation of diplomatic norms and an unacceptable infringement on the sovereignty of states." Journalist Abdullah Al-Saidi considered that sober countries "manage their emotions wisely," while Trump's statements "do not reflect the logic of the state" and do not go beyond being "a media fallacy from the world's most foolish and obscene leaders."

Parallel Egyptian anger

The anger spread to Cairo, where Egyptian parliamentarian and media personality Mustafa Bakri launched a scathing attack on Trump, calling his threat to Oman "outright thuggery."

Bakri said Trump had previously threatened Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the same way to push them towards the Abraham Accords, stressing that "attempts to force acquiescence on our country are rejected."

Bakri linked the US escalation to an attempt to reshape the region according to Netanyahu's "new Middle East project", warning of security arrangements that Arab countries may be "victims" to, and calling for "Arab unity and a joint force" to deter any threats.

What is behind this threat?

The threat stems from reports that Tehran is negotiating with Muscat on a common tariff system for navigation through the strait, which is critical to global energy trade, with Trump rejecting this model and stating , according to CNN, "The strait should be open to everyone. "It's international water, and no one will control it, and we're going to monitor it."

Oman has long-standing military and economic ties with the United States, according to the Guardian, and Oman is an important mediator in talks between Washington and Tehran.

Trump's remarks reflect the harsh U.S. position in managing Iran, as Washington categorically rejects any regional arrangements that could give Tehran additional leverage over international waterways.

Trump therefore wanted to use this escalatory language to prevent any alliances that might affect U.S. interests during this critical period of U.S.-Iranian negotiations.

Who has the right to control the strait?

The Strait of Hormuz as a natural waterway represents almost the only route for oil producers in the Gulf to ship their exports to the open ocean, and the  strait has remained a free international sea route for decades, and following the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, Iran closed the waterway and began imposing its sovereignty over it, including imposing tolls.

However, international maritime law states that states are not allowed to charge fees on vessels transiting natural straits such as the Strait of Hormuz, even if these straits are not within international waters.