Trump Claims Informal Channel With IRGC, Threatens to Bomb Oman

US President Donald Trump claimed in an interview with Fox News, reported on Monday, 26 Mordad 1405 (August 17, 2026) by Ecoiran citing Tabnak, that Washington has an informal channel of communication with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), saying: We speak directly with IRGC officials in Iran and have an informal channel of communication with the Guard.

In the same interview, Trump said in a threatening tone toward Oman: If Oman gets in our way, we will bomb them heavily, and added of Iran: Iran needs to raise the white flag of surrender. They are good poker players, but they are dying. The remarks came on the same day the 60-day window under the Iran-US memorandum lapsed without a formal extension, with Oman remaining one of the main mediators in talks over the Strait of Hormuz.