WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would demand compensation from Iran for damage and deaths linked to the ongoing war and alleged Iranian attacks dating back decades, adding another condition to stalled negotiations between the two countries.
Trump said his compensation demand would cover damage from the current conflict, attacks on US targets over the past two decades and payments to families of Iranian protesters killed by authorities over the past 50 years.
“I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran,” Trump said, adding that the demands would be included “firmly” in future negotiations with Tehran.
Trump’s announcement followed Iran’s demand that the United States pay war reparations as a precondition for resolving the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has also demanded that Washington end its blockade of Iranian ports and lift sanctions on Iran’s oil industry.
Trump later said Iran should also be held responsible for deaths and damage linked to its actions in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza.
The demands could further complicate negotiations aimed at ending the hostilities and reopening the strategic waterway, which Iran has blocked during the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global oil shipments, and its closure has contributed to higher fuel prices and increased pressure on the global economy.
Trump has alternated between threatening further military action against Iran and signaling that a negotiated settlement could be reached. Last week, he threatened to strike Iran “very hard,” including potentially targeting civilian infrastructure, before suggesting that a peace agreement could be close.
Over the weekend, Trump said he was taking a lower-key approach to the conflict and appeared to favor economic pressure over additional military strikes.
Iran has continued to make the lifting of US sanctions and the end of the blockade central to its demands for an agreement.
Trump also cited the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole as part of his rationale for seeking compensation, saying Iran had previously been linked to the attack.
The USS Cole was attacked while refueling in Yemen, killing 17 US service members and injuring dozens of others. Iran has denied responsibility for the bombing.
The latest demands come as the Trump administration faces pressure to resolve the conflict and restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ahead of the US midterm elections in November.