Live updates: Trump threatens Oman as US-Iran deal hits deadline; Kushner meets Netanyahu on Gaza

Trump Threatens Military Action Against Oman as U.S.–Iran Waterway Talks Reach Critical Deadline

Provpnadvice.com – The President of the United States issued a striking warning on Monday morning, declaring that American forces would strike Oman should the Gulf sultanate obstruct any ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran. The remark landed amid tense diplomatic maneuvering over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil supply transits. Both Oman and Iran flank this vital waterway, and the two governments have been engaged in negotiations aimed at restoring normal shipping access through the strait.

The timing of Trump’s threat coincided with the expiration of a two-month memorandum of understanding that had temporarily structured the bilateral relationship between the United States and Iran. Speaking during a telephone interview with Fox News on that same day, the president made clear he felt no urgency to bring the broader conflict to a close.

“I’m not in a rush to end the war,” Trump told the network, signaling that Washington would maintain pressure even as the interim framework lapsed.

Analysts note that the Hormuz corridor carries an estimated 20 million barrels of crude and refined petroleum products per day, making any disruption a global economic event. Oman’s geographic position gives it leverage over transit routes, and a direct American strike on Omani territory would represent an extraordinary escalation in a region already saturated with competing military postures. The sultanate has historically maintained a neutral, mediating posture in Gulf affairs, which makes the president’s language particularly jarring to regional observers.

Kushner Pushes Gaza Reconstruction Agenda in Jerusalem

Separately, Jared Kushner, serving as the president’s personal envoy, traveled to Israel on Monday to sit down with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two men focused on advancing concrete development and reconstruction plans for the Gaza Strip, a territory that has endured years of conflict and infrastructure collapse. Kushner’s role in Middle East diplomacy has expanded considerably under the current administration, and his direct channel to Netanyahu positions him as a key architect of post-conflict planning for the Palestinian enclave.

The meeting came at a moment when international donors and multilateral bodies are still debating the scale and sequencing of Gaza’s rebuilding. Kushner’s presence in Jerusalem underscores the administration’s preference for bilateral, deal-driven engagement over multilateral frameworks in shaping the region’s future.

Pentagon Ordered to Scale Back South Korea Exercise

Earlier on Sunday, Trump abruptly directed the Department of Defense to “substantially reduce” a planned joint military exercise with South Korea. His stated rationale was that the large-scale maneuvering would be perceived as an act of hostility toward North Korea, potentially complicating any future diplomatic overtures to Pyongyang. The order effectively trimmed the scope of what had been a routine, annually scheduled training event involving tens of thousands of American and South Korean service members.

The decision drew swift criticism from the Senate. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat representing Arizona, publicly labeled the move “shortsighted and a mistake,” arguing that reducing visible allied coordination sends a signal of American disengagement that could embolden adversaries across the Indo-Pacific. Kelly’s remarks highlighted a growing tension within Congress over how the administration balances deterrence posture with diplomatic flexibility in East Asia.

South Korea’s own government has historically viewed the joint exercises as a cornerstone of the bilateral security alliance and a deterrent against North Korean aggression. A sudden reduction, even if framed as a goodwill gesture toward Pyongyang, risks unsettling allied confidence at a moment when regional security calculations are already volatile.

Monday’s Closed-Door Schedule and Congressional Pro Forma Sessions

The president’s Monday calendar consisted of a series of internal policy meetings, none of which were opened to the press corps. The closed-door format suggests the administration is working through sensitive operational and diplomatic decisions without the pressure of real-time media scrutiny.

In Washington, both chambers of Congress were technically out of session but convened for pro forma proceedings on Monday. These brief, largely ceremonial gatherings allow the legislative branch to maintain a quorum, process routine paperwork, and keep the institutional clock running during recess periods. No substantive legislation was expected to advance during the abbreviated sessions.

The convergence of an expiring U.S.–Iran framework, a threatened strike on a neutral Gulf state, a scaled-back Indo-Pacific exercise, and a high-level Gaza reconstruction push all landing within a single 48-hour window illustrates the breadth of decisions the current administration is managing simultaneously. Each thread carries independent geopolitical weight, and the interplay among them will shape the coming weeks of American foreign policy.