US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if the country obstructs efforts to reach a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the threat on Monday during an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing discussions between Oman and Iran concerning control and navigation through the strategic waterway.

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“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst, referring to the talks between Oman and Iran while the United States pursues its own discussions with Tehran.

Iranian and Omani officials have been negotiating for weeks over future maritime navigation arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Iran effectively restricted traffic through the waterway at the beginning of the war on February 28, while Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strategic route should be under US control.

On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory. Iran rejected the position, insisting that the crucial waterway would “remain Iranian.”

Before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an open international waterway. The route is critical to global energy supplies and carries significant volumes of oil and other commodities.

Iran has used its control over the strait as leverage against US-led efforts to weaken its military capabilities and force Tehran to abandon its controversial nuclear programme.

Trump also called on Iran to surrender, saying Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender.”

Despite the growing tensions and the political pressure surrounding the conflict ahead of the November midterm elections in the United States, Trump said he was not in a hurry to reach a deal.

He further disclosed that his administration maintains a direct back-channel with officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump was quoted as saying.

Senator Seriake Dickson, the national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has appointed three new aides as the party and other political groups intensify preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dickson approved the appointment of Sani Takori as Political Adviser, VinMartin Ilo as Chief Technical Adviser and veteran journalist, Steve Nwosu, as Spokesman.

The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, announced the appointments in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

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According to Director, the appointments took immediate effect and were aimed at strengthening Dickson’s operations, administration and strategic communication.

He said the three appointees “were selected based on their experience and professional records.”

Director added that Ilo and Nwosu bring “a track record of professionalism, credibility and integrity,” while Takori is “a tested and trusted public administrator, with a hugely impressive political resumé.”

Takori, a lawyer, began his career in the old Sokoto State, where he served as a Registrar and Magistrate before becoming Solicitor-General and later Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Zamfara State.

An alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University and the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Takori was elected to the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007.

The 68-year-old politician from Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State has also served as a Local Government Chairman, National Legal Adviser to the Council of Ulamas and Chief Legal Officer of the Nigerian Electoral Commission.

Ilo, a broadcast journalist and public relations expert, has nearly four decades of professional experience.

He is a former Special Adviser on Media to the Enugu State Governor and also served on the Governing Board of the National Broadcasting Commission.

Nwosu, described by the NDC as a long-standing associate of Dickson, is a media administrator and political communication strategist with experience spanning print, broadcasting and online media.

A graduate of the University of Nigeria and Lagos Business School, Nwosu worked with The Guardian and ThisDay, where he held several editorial positions, including Features Editor, Political Editor, Editor of ThisDayStyle and Editor of ThisDay on Saturday.

He later joined The Sun Newspapers at its inception as pioneer Editor of Saturday Sun and rose to become Editor of Daily Sun, Executive Director, Corporate Services, Deputy Managing Director and Deputy Editor-in-Chief.

Nwosu also served for eight years on the Standing Committee of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, first representing the West Zone and later serving as Treasurer.

The statement said the responsibilities of the three appointees would cover Dickson’s activities “both as the NDC National Leader and as a serving Senator of the Federal Republic.”

The appointments come amid heightened political activities as parties strengthen their structures and communication strategies ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Oil industry insiders have described allegations linking the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Bayo Ojulari, to the recent award of oil blocks as ‘deliberately false, malicious and legally unsustainable.’

Those who know declared that Ojulari neither awarded nor participated in the award of any oil block or marginal field, stressing that neither Ojulari nor the NNPC Ltd has the statutory authority to allocate oil blocks or issue petroleum licences in Nigeria.

Under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) upstream licensing is administered by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) while the authority to grant a Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) rests with the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

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Consequently, the sources said any suggestion that Ojulari personally awarded an oil block, influenced the allocation process or used his position to secure a field for any individual or company is not only unsupported by evidence but fundamentally inconsistent with the law.

“This allegation collapses under the slightest scrutiny,” a senior industry official said. “Ojulari did not conduct the bid process, evaluate applicants, select winners or award any oil block. He had absolutely no statutory role in the exercise. Those spreading this narrative know this, but they are deliberately misleading the public.”

They stated that powerful interests threatened by the reform programme of the NNPC Ltd’s leadership are allegedly behind a coordinated campaign to discredit Ojulari and force him from office, according to industry sources familiar with the developments.

The sources alleged that individuals whose commercial interests have been disrupted by Ojulari’s transparency drive, tighter financial controls and cost-reduction measures are supporting a group operating under the name Oil and Gas Professionals Forum (OGPF).

The group recently alleged that a company linked to Ojulari’s wife benefited from the award of a marginal oil field. However, it reportedly failed to produce corporate documents, beneficial ownership records, licensing papers or any other credible evidence establishing such a connection.

Industry insiders described the allegation as a calculated fabrication designed to stain Ojulari’s reputation, erode public confidence in his leadership and create artificial grounds for agitation against his continued tenure.

“This is not an innocent misunderstanding of the licensing process,” one source said. “It is a deliberate attempt to hold Ojulari responsible for an exercise over which he had no legal authority, no regulatory responsibility and no decision-making power.”

Sources said the attacks intensified as the NNPC Ltd’s leadership moved to improve transparency in commercial transactions, enforce financial discipline, reduce operating costs and review arrangements considered wasteful or inconsistent with the company’s commercial objectives.

They alleged that some individuals and companies that previously benefited from opaque transactions and weak institutional controls are fighting back because their interests have been affected by the reforms.

According to the sources, the strategy is to portray Ojulari as ethically compromised, weaken his moral authority and distract the NNPC Ltd leadership from implementing far-reaching institutional changes.

Since assuming office, the sources said Ojulari has pursued reforms aimed at repositioning the NNPC Ltd as a commercially driven, operationally efficient and globally competitive energy company.

“His leadership has prioritised cost reduction, improved production, stronger corporate governance, financial accountability and greater transparency across the company’s commercial operations.

“He has also demanded greater discipline in contracting and investment decisions, while seeking to eliminate waste, strengthen internal controls and ensure that commercial arrangements deliver measurable value to the company and the Nigerian people,” a source said.

Industry stakeholders said the measures have inevitably challenged entrenched interests accustomed to benefiting from questionable arrangements and weak oversight.

The insiders dismissed the claims against Ojulari as baseless, mischievous and politically motivated.

A senior company official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said Ojulari had complied with the relevant asset-declaration and Code of Conduct requirements.

“The attempt to link his family to an oil-block award is false and can easily be tested against official corporate and licensing records,” the official said.

“More importantly, the GCEO of NNPC Ltd does not award oil blocks. The NNPC Ltd did not conduct the licensing exercise, and Ojulari neither selected nor approved any beneficiary. The allegation is therefore built on a false premise,” the source added.