US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it gets in the way of efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Monday.

Iran said last week it was in talks with Oman over the reopening of the strategic waterway.

Trump also said his administration had opened a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) but added he was in no rush to end the conflict, according to Fox News.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump said of the IRGC. “I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry.”