Trump Demands Iran Compensate for All Victims of Past Attacks

US President Donald Trump has stated he will demand conflict compensation from Iran as part of peace negotiations, referencing attacks over several decades that were allegedly supported or carried out by Tehran. “Iran is asking for compensation for the damage they suffered during the five-month military conflict… I am also demanding compensation from Iran, for all the people they have killed and maimed with roadside bombs and in many other conflicts,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, according to AFP. In the post, Trump referred to the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000, and added that compensation should also “be paid to the families of the hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters that Iran has killed over the last 50 years.” He said he has instructed his representatives to firmly include this in all future negotiations. In a pattern that has become customary, Trump threatened last week to strike Iran “very hard,” possibly by targeting civilian infrastructure. However, he later walked back the threat, hinting that a peace deal was close. His latest Truth Social comments came a day after Trump said he was taking a “calm” approach to the conflict with Iran, stating he was prepared to let economic pressure mount in lieu of further military strikes. Digital media outlet Axios reported that the US president expressed no frustration over the delay in a deal regarding Iran’s opening of the Strait of Hormuz during an interview published on Sunday. Tehran is demanding that the US first end its blockade of Iranian ports and lift sanctions on its oil industry. Tehran is also demanding compensation for damage sustained during US strikes on the Islamic Republic. With negotiations stalled, Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has caused fuel prices to soar and shaken the global economy.