Oil Surges Above $90 After Trump Threatens to Bomb Oman Over Strait of Hormuz

Brent crude broke above $90 a barrel and rose 2.7% on Monday after President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman if the country interferes with talks over the Strait of Hormuz.

The remarks landed as a 60-day US-Iran negotiating deadline expired without a resolution, deepening uncertainty across energy markets.

What Trump Actually Said About Oman

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, carrying roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas daily. It has stayed largely closed to normal tanker traffic since fighting began in February.

Trump made the threat in a phone interview with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst. Asked about talks between Iran and Oman over jointly overseeing the strait, he said that if Oman got in the way, the US would bomb them.

Later in the Oval Office, reporters pressed him to elaborate. Trump said he did not think Oman had behaved very well, but that the situation would be handled easily. This was not his first warning toward the Gulf nation, having made a similar comment at a Cabinet meeting in May.

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Reporter: You said you would bomb the shit out of Oman if they got in the way of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.Would you say you're out of patience with Oman, a strategic partner? Trump: I don't think they behaved very well, but we'd handled them very easily just like we do… pic.twitter.com/sFRHqIfVhE

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 17, 2026

Oman, a longtime US ally near Yemen, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, has been negotiating separately with Iran. Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported Saturday that Tehran and Muscat reached an arrangement on traffic.

“By threatening to bomb Oman — a longtime U.S. ally with nearly 200 years of diplomatic ties and active military cooperation — Trump just became the first American president in history to openly threaten to bomb one of our own partners,” social and climate justice activist Bill Madden noted.

Why the Deadline and the Markets Both Matter

Shipping data underscores the stakes. Only 13 vessels passed through the strait over the weekend, including three on Sunday, according to maritime tracker MarineTraffic.

Oil prices reflected that disruption directly. Brent crude climbed 2.7% to break above $90 a barrel, its highest level of the day, as Trump made the comment.

That timing appears central to Trump’s frustration. An Oman-Iran deal could shape access to the strait even as Washington pursues a broader agreement with Tehran.

Good morning, Brent is over 90 again and regardless of any “official” statements, flows from Hormuz have not normalized and vessels continue to be targeted. #OOTT pic.twitter.com/5FWuQCtbBy

— Amena Bakr (@Amena__Bakr) August 18, 2026

Monday marked the expiration of a 60-day window that the US and Iran had agreed to in June, aimed at ending the conflict and addressing Iran’s nuclear program. No concrete resolution emerged. Trump maintained that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon, without detailing where negotiations currently stand.

The political fallout arrived quickly. Senator Tim Kaine said he would introduce a resolution barring military action against Oman once the Senate returns from recess. Iran’s Foreign Ministry described talks with Oman as complex but ongoing, citing unnamed actors attempting to influence the process.

“Deranged. Oman is a U.S. ally. Torching a critical alliance for his foolish war against Iran, which has raised costs and drained our weapons stockpiles, hurts America—and helps China and Russia. I’ll file a War Powers Resolution to stop Trump from taking us into yet another war,” Kaine said on X.

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Equity markets reacted more mildly than crude. The Dow Jones fell 0.3% in early trading, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.1% amid thin summer volume.

For now, tanker traffic through the strait remains disrupted, leaving shipping companies and oil importers watching for any sign that diplomacy, or further military threats, will determine what happens next.