Trump threatens military action against Oman over Hormuz transit deal
Tensions escalate in the Middle East as Iranian drones strike Iraqi Kurdistan, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz grinds to a halt, and Jared Kushner prepares for high-stakes meetings in the region.
US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Oman, threatening military action if the sultanate obstructs a proposed agreement regarding commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The threat was issued on Monday, 17 August 2026, following reports that Iranian drones targeted the office of the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister.
The ultimatum arrives as Iran’s foreign ministry stated it is working to finalise a joint statement with Oman on managing ship transit through the critical waterway. Fully reopening the strait to commercial traffic has been a primary demand of the United States, yet it remains unclear whether any emerging deal will satisfy Washington’s criteria. The announcement coincides with the expiration of a 60-day negotiating period for a broader US-Iran peace deal, with no indication of an extension and both parties remaining significantly apart.
Regional security tensions intensified overnight when two Iranian drones struck the office of Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister, and the residence of the region’s intelligence chief. The KRG security agency confirmed the attacks were launched from Iranian territory. While the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit reported no casualties, Barzani described the incident as a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the region’s stability.
Diplomatic efforts elsewhere in the Middle East face their own hurdles. US envoy Jared Kushner met with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in El-Alamein, Egypt, to discuss a US-backed Gaza peace plan. Kushner reportedly urged Hamas to take “concrete, verifiable steps” and conveyed that Gaza must never again pose a security threat to Israel. The meeting precedes Kushner’s scheduled discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected the current plan, insisting on the genuine disarmament of Hamas.
Compounding the geopolitical instability, shipping data indicates a severe slowdown in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with only five commodity vessels transiting on Saturday and none on Sunday. Meanwhile, the UN rights chief Volker Turk urged immediate de-escalation in Yemen as renewed fighting between Houthi rebels and government forces undermines a 2022 truce. In a separate development, Iran’s foreign ministry declared that three missing pilots, who disappeared during an operation against a US base in Qatar, should be considered prisoners until their fate is clarified.
