Trump threatened to 'blow up' Oman — why the tiny Gulf kingdom is caught between DC and Iran

President Donald Trump's threat to "blow up" Oman if the Gulf kingdom didn't "behave" has exposed a rare rupture with one of Washington's most valuable Middle East partners — a country that has spent decades quietly serving as America's backchannel to Iran.

"The strait's gotta be open to everybody," the president said during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. "It's international waters. Nobody's going to control it. We're going to watch over it. We'll watch over it, but nobody's going to control it.