WASHINGTON. – President Donald Trump demanded Monday that Iran compensate Americans killed or seriously wounded in attacks he attributes to Tehran, escalating a dispute over war reparations after Iranian officials called on Washington to pay for damage caused during the recent military conflict.
Trump said he has instructed U.S. representatives to make compensation a formal issue in any future negotiations with Iran, arguing that if Tehran intends to seek reparations from Washington, the United States should present its own claims covering decades of Iranian actions.
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The president made the comments after senior Iranian officials included compensation among a series of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that has become a central point of confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump said Iranian representatives were demanding compensation for damage suffered during the past five months of military conflict. He argued that such payments had never been part of previous negotiations between the two countries.
Trump described Iran’s demand as an “interesting idea” before turning the argument against Tehran. He said the United States should seek compensation for Americans killed or seriously injured in attacks involving Iranian-backed forces and roadside bombs, specifically invoking the role of former Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
The president went further by demanding compensation for the families of Iranian demonstrators killed during decades of repression by the Islamic Republic. He claimed that hundreds of thousands of protesters have been killed over the past 50 years, including tens of thousands during the latest period of conflict and unrest.
Trump said his representatives have been instructed to place those demands firmly on the table during any future negotiations with Tehran.
In a separate post, the president argued that Iran should also be held financially responsible for death and destruction in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza, citing Tehran’s long-standing support for armed groups and political organizations throughout the Middle East.
Trump later returned to the issue while speaking to reporters during an executive order signing at the White House. He confirmed that Tehran was seeking what he characterized as reparations for damage inflicted by the United States.
The president said Iran’s demand had prompted him to consider claims covering damage he says Tehran has caused over approximately five decades.
“If there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages,” Trump told reporters.
The escalating dispute comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of negotiations. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has said the strategic passage will remain closed until Washington changes its policies toward Tehran.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, outlined several Iranian conditions for reopening the strait, including an end to U.S. military operations and threats, the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and compensation for war-related damage.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on August 8 that Iran and Oman were close to reaching an agreement on a new shipping arrangement through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Tehran has continued to insist that any agreement must address what it considers U.S. violations of previous understandings and the damage caused during the conflict.
Despite the ongoing contacts, Trump has offered little indication that Washington and Tehran are close to resolving their broader confrontation.
Asked Monday whether Iran had exhausted its opportunities to reach an agreement with the United States, Trump repeatedly told reporters that they would “find out.”
He also declined to rule out additional military action when questioned about the possibility of strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, saying the United States has the capability to take such action if it chooses.
Trump had said a day earlier that Washington was only “semi-negotiating” with Tehran, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts.
The dispute over compensation now adds another major obstacle to already complicated negotiations involving Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, military operations and control of shipping through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
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