US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday threatened to “aggressively” target Oman with sanctions if it was involved in “facilitating tolls” in the Strait of Hormuz, a warning that came after President Trump threatened to “blow up” the country.
“The United States Government will not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz,” Bessent wrote on X.
“Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized,” he added.
Bessent also announced more sanctions on Iran targeting the country’s Persian Gulf Transit Authority. “The [US Treasury] continues our Economic Fury campaign against the Iranian regime,” he said in a separate post. “Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is a joke, and today Treasury has sanctioned it. We have warned any corporate or state entities against paying tolls or hiding them as aid payments.”
On Wednesday, President Trump was asked if he would accept a short-term deal that involves Iran and Oman jointly controlling the strait and said, “No, the strait’s got to be opened to everybody, it’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it… Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up.”
Iranian officials have said they held talks with their Omani counterparts on imposing a toll system, with revenue shared between the two countries, an arrangement Tehran is now framing as a fee for “navigation services” and “environmental protection.”
It’s unlikely Iran will back down from its demand for some sort of fee for ships transiting the strait since it seeks funds for reconstruction following the US-Israeli bombing campaign, which killed more than 3,400 Iranians and did devastating damage to civilian infrastructure.
