Donald Trump has claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is “very functional” despite the occasional rocket or drone attack in another bizarre rant. Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, the US president repeated his claim that the vital oil waterway is “open” and had been fully demined despite continued attacks on ships. Yes, every once in a while there'll be a drone or a rocket or something shot, but it is a very functioning Strait.
A lot of oil is pouring out,” he said. His comments came as Oman and Iran said that an agreement on future control of the Strait had not yet been finalised. "The Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and the country of Oman.
We have been in negotiations with Oman for about a month, and we have reached results that are acceptable to both sides," Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said in comments published by Iranian state media. Trump has warned Oman against cooperating with Iran, telling Fox News on August 17: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s*** out of them." Iran and Oman are still negotiating the details of an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source said on Wednesday, contradicting an earlier claim by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards that the two countries had agreed on how to divide control of the strategic waterway and its revenues. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Iran and Oman had reached an understanding on their respective shares of the strait’s waters and revenues.
But the senior Iranian source said no final agreement had been reached, adding that talks were continuing. The IRGC also said the strait would remain closed unless the United States met Tehran’s conditions under an interim ceasefire agreement reached in June before it unravelled. Iran has demanded an end to the US blockade of its ports, compensation and the removal of sanctions.
Iran and Oman have held talks for weeks over managing traffic through the strait, a crucial global energy chokepoint that handled about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war began in February. Most shipping through the waterway has since been disrupted, pushing global energy prices higher as Iran and the US seek to exert control over the channel through separate blockades. The conflicting statements leave the status of any Iran-Oman agreement unclear, with negotiations apparently continuing over the details of a possible accord.
US president Donald Trump has said he has “no time schedule” for when the US-Iran talks will take place to end the conflict. I have no time schedule at all,” Trump told Al Jazeera on Wednesday. I have no time schedule; whatever it takes.” Trump said the economic measures and military strikes together were “effective” in the conflict when asked what has worked better.
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