His idea of small talk is 'Good morning' and 'Want the coordinates of our secret military base in the Strait of Hormuz?'

One sailor sustained light injuries, but there was no oil leak and the strait remained open for business.

Oman runs from the Straits of Hormuz, with a brief pause for a patch of UAE territory, around the corner of the Arabian Sea, and all the way down to the Yemen border.

He said Iran could simply declare the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance of the Gulf a war zone to send oil prices, already nearing $100 a barrel, soaring without a shot being fired.

After Iranian speed boats harassed a U.S. warship in the Strait of Hormuz this month, Bush, on a trip to the Middle East, warned of serious consequences if it happened again.