Srinagar, May 28 -- Srinagar - US President Donald Trump has now threatened military action against Oman, one of Washington's oldest and closest allies in West Asia, warning that the United States would "blow them up" if Muscat cooperates with Iran to assert joint control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint already at the centre of fragile negotiations to end the US-Israel war against Iran.

The extraordinary remarks, delivered during a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday, stunned diplomats and regional observers alike, not least because Oman has for decades served as a quiet intermediary between Washington and Tehran while simultaneously hosting American military cooperation programmes.

Asked by a reporter w...