US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran would be “hit very hard” unless the strategic Strait of Hormuz is reopened “very soon,” in an interview with Fox News. Trump said that talks were ongoing, as Axios reported that the US, Iran and Oman were nearing an interim deal to reopen the strait, which Washington was hoping to announce Wednesday. “The strait is going to be open very soon, or they’re going to get hit very hard — and then the strait’s going to be open,” Trump said during a visit to California. AdvertisementThe Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for global oil and gas supplies, has been the spark for repeated returns to fighting. All traffic heading into the Gulf would take a northern shipping lane, and outbound traffic would use a southern lane through Oman’s territorial waters.