Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Hormuz talks

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran should surrender to end a war with the US as talks between the countries remained stalled.

“They ?should put up the white flag of surrender,” Trump told a Fox News reporter during a ?phone interview.

An interim deal agreed to in June declared an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations ?on all fronts”, but quickly unraveled, with Trump saying it was “over” on July 7 and Iran’s foreign ministry declaring it “suspended” a week later.

Under that memorandum of understanding, Iran and the US committed to negotiating a final deal – ?covering broader issues such as the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme – in a maximum of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent. Monday marked 60 days since the MOU was signed.

Separately, Oman and Iran have been in ?talks to try to reach an agreement to restore commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which carried 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began in late February.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the sh** out of them,” Trump told Fox.

The dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up fuel prices and put pressure on Trump to end a war that is unpopular at home ahead of the November midterm elections that will decide control of the US Congress.

Trump told Fox News that the midterms were not impacting his strategy on Iran. “Midterms have nothing to do with my thinking,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon,” repeating one of his stated ?rationales for the war.

IRGC dismisses Trump’s claim

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed as “lies” Trump’s claim that Washington was holding back-channel talks with IRGC officials on war-related issues.

“No talks are taking place between IRGC officials and the Americans,” spokesman Hossein Mohibbi told Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

He said the US leader’s claims were “lies” and “fantasies born of delusions and nightmares resulting from defeat and desperation in the war.”

The spokesman added that diplomatic matters were handled by other Iranian state institutions and fell outside the IRG’s purview.

“According to the information we have and statements by Foreign Ministry officials, no talks are currently taking place with the Americans – even at that level,” he said.

“Trump’s fantasies will not help him on the battlefield,” he added, describing the US leader’s assertions as an attempt to influence global energy prices.

Earlier on Monday, Trump told reporters that his administration maintained a “backchannel with the IRGC.” “We are speaking directly with IRGC officials in Iran,” the US president claimed.

Iran threatens to go on offensive

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would shift to a “fully offensive” military posture because efforts to negotiate a permanent ?end to its war with the US have stalled.

“Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait ?of Hormuz and wider region, as Iran will be ready to make decisions and take action on difficult decisions,” the Iranian official said, adding that Tehran would conduct a “timely and precise” military attack to break the US naval blockade if diplomacy failed.

Asked by reporters on Monday if the US was seeking to extend June’s interim agreement, Trump said no.

Trump ‘very happy’

The US president on Monday welcomed the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement by Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” he said on Sunday on Truth Social.

Trump said the deal shows “how the Middle East is coming together, and how countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way. Congratulations to the Great Leadership of the three nations mentioned.

“THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP – WOW!” he added.

On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye formalised their longstanding strategic relationship through the newly signed “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement”, a trilateral security framework that its proponents describe as a defensive arrangement aimed at strengthening collective deterrence, enhancing military cooperation and promoting regional stability.

The agreement, signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, has prompted comparisons with military alliances such as NATO. However, according to security analysts, the pact is intended to formalise decades of existing strategic cooperation rather than create a new military bloc or offensive alliance.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked the US president Trump for his support for the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, saying Pakistan would continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defence of its own country and the wider region.

In a post on X on Monday, Shehbaz said he “deeply appreciate[d] President Donald Trump’s kind words of support” following the US president’s remarks on the agreement on Truth Social.

“Together with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye, Pakistan will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defence of our own countries as well as the entire region,” the prime minister said.

He also praised Trump for what he described as his “courageous and decisive leadership”, saying it had helped “avert a nuclear catastrophe in South Asia and saved millions of lives.”

The prime minister added that “durable peace” was the most essential prerequisite for a bright and prosperous future for the people of the region.

Separately, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement represented a different kind of transformation, stressing that it presented “a real opportunity for us to deliver an important message to the world.”

Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic television, recorded on August 14, the day the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party celebrated its 25th anniversary, Erdogan said: “Coming together on such a day is truly a special joy for us.”