US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if the country interferes with Washington’s efforts to reach a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, while calling on Tehran to surrender.

Trump made the threat on Monday during an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, in reference to ongoing discussions between Oman and Iran over future arrangements for navigation through the strategic waterway.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst, according to the journalist’s account of the interview.

Iranian and Omani officials have reportedly been holding discussions for weeks over maritime navigation arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the two countries were working towards a joint declaration.

The development comes as Washington pursues its own negotiations with Tehran over the strategically important waterway.

Trump has repeatedly asserted that the Strait of Hormuz should be under US control, despite Iran maintaining effective control over traffic through the route.

On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, prompting Tehran to reject the claim and insist that the waterway would remain Iranian.

Before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an open international waterway and served as a major route for global energy shipments and other commodities.

Iran has used its effective control over the strait as leverage amid US-led efforts to weaken its military capabilities and pressure Tehran over its nuclear programme.

The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south and is considered one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes.

Trump also called on Iran to surrender, telling Yingst that Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender.”

Despite the escalating tensions, Trump said he was in no hurry to reach a deal with Iran, even as opposition to the war continues to grow in the United States ahead of the November midterm elections.

He also disclosed that his administration maintains a direct back-channel with officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump was quoted as saying.

The latest remarks further heighten tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, with any prolonged disruption to shipping through the waterway likely to have significant implications for global energy markets and international trade.