President Donald Trump on Monday demanded that Iran compensate Americans killed or seriously wounded in attacks he blamed on Tehran, while also calling for payments to the families of Iranian protesters killed by the regime.
The president also said he had instructed his representatives to raise his compensation demands in any future negotiations with Iran.
Trump’s remarks came after senior Iranian officials demanded compensation from Washington as part of Tehran’s 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 (started because, THEY WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON), even though it was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or meetings!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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Trump also called Iran’s request for compensation "an interesting idea" before saying he was also demanding compensation from Iran, "for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts, for which they are famous, as led initially by General Soleimani, including the families of those killed on the USS Cole, and thousands of others killed in combat."
"Additionally, compensation should be paid to the families of the hundreds of thousands of innocent protestors that Iran has killed over the last 50 years, not to mention the 52,000 that have been killed in the last five months," he wrote.
"I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any and all future negotiations," Trump wrote.
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In a second Truth Social post, Trump said Iran should also be held responsible for "the damages and death caused to the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza."
Following his two posts, Trump revisited the topic during an executive order signing at the White House and confirmed that Tehran had demanded "reparations."
"They asked for reparations, you might say," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"Or they asked for money for the damage that we've done. I said that's a good idea. Well, we're going to ask for money for the damage they've done over a 50-year period," he said.
Trump added: "So, if there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages."
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said over the weekend that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States "corrects its behavior," setting out a series of conditions for reopening the strategic waterway.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, also set out 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 damage, according to reports.
"The Supreme National Security Council will never back down, whether in war or in negotiations," Zolghadr said.
On Aug. 8, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran and Oman were "very close" to reaching a deal on a new shipping route through the strait, but also said there would be conditions, including compensation for what Tehran says were U.S. violations of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MOU), Reuters reported.
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Trump on Monday also declined to say whether Iran had exhausted its chances to reach a deal with the United States, telling reporters at the White House, "You'll find out."
When asked whether the last round of talks was Tehran’s last chance before decapitation strikes, Trump said, "You'll find out, you'll find out."
"Well, we have that certainly that ability if we want to do that. Yeah. You'll find out," he repeated.
Trump also said Sunday that the United States was "only semi-negotiating" with Iran.
