President Donald Trump has ordered US negotiators to demand compensation from Iran for Americans killed and wounded by the Islamic Republic and its forces, turning Tehran’s own demand for war reparations back on the regime.
Trump announced the move after Iranian officials reportedly demanded that Washington pay compensation for damage caused during this year’s conflict as part of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. “I see that representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last five-month military conflict,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “But it is an interesting idea because now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded,” he added.
Trump said he had instructed his representatives to make the demand part of “any, and all, future negotiations” with Tehran. The move comes after Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, laid out a series of conditions for the reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded an end to US military operations and sanctions, compensation for wartime damage and the release of frozen Iranian assets, among other concessions. Tehran has also insisted that the US withdraw military forces from around Iran and cease attacks against its regional allies. The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint in the standoff. The waterway is one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, and Iran's refusal to fully reopen it has added to pressure on Washington to reach an agreement.
Trump said Sunday that Washington was “low-keying” its approach to Iran and was only “semi-negotiating” with Tehran, suggesting that the administration was prepared to allow economic pressure to build rather than immediately launch another major military operation.
