U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would bomb Oman if it interfered with U.S. activities in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also described preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as his top priority.
Trump said secret communication channels existed with officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and claimed that only a small portion of U.S. ammunition had been used in Iran. He also alleged that Tehran possessed many weapons at an intermediate level.
Trump said former U.S. President Joe Biden had provided advanced weapons systems to Ukraine.
How tensions unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran and the United States reached an agreement mediated by Pakistan on June 14. Under the first phase, the United States would release Iran’s frozen assets; in return, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened and Iran would not charge fees for 60 days for passages through the strategic waterway.
After the agreement, the United States did not release Iran’s frozen assets and designated an alternative route through Omani territorial waters for Strait of Hormuz crossings. Iran regarded these steps as a violation of the agreement.
Iran restricted passages through the strait and struck some ships that attempted to pass without authorization. Tensions between the two countries turned into fighting around the Strait of Hormuz on July 8, and the clashes lasted approximately two weeks.
Iran resumed talks with Oman, which borders the Strait of Hormuz, to establish safe passage routes for ships.
Trump comments on Iran, Israel and Hamas
Trump said the government in Tehran should surrender as the agreement with Iran expired and added that he was not in a hurry. Trump argued that the U.S. naval blockade of Iran was creating economic pressure and alleged that Iran was bluffing on the issue.
Commenting on the elections scheduled to take place in Israel in October, Trump said staying out of the elections was the best option, but added that he could support one of the candidates.
Trump said the United States was communicating with Hamas through different channels and that Hamas would disarm. He also said Israel should not launch attacks on Gaza.
In another comment on Iran, Trump said the main objective was to ensure that Iran never acquired nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
