Trump Demands Iran Pay Compensation For 50 Years Of Damage, Claims US Navy Has ‘100% Control’ Of Strait Of Hormuz

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said Iran should pay reparations for the damage he claimed it had caused over the past 50 years, while asserting that the United States Navy has "100 per cent control" over the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, "The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy. We have a blockade that's been infallible. It's a steel wall. And we let people in that we want to let in, and those people come in, and they've been coming in, and they're going out. We do not let them go into Iran. They're not admitted into the Strait to go to Iran. We control the Strait of Hormuz 100%."

Speaking about the next steps with Iran, Trump said Tehran had sought reparations and money for damages caused by US actions, adding that Washington would also demand compensation from Iran.

"They asked for reparations, they asked for money for the damage that we've done. And I said, that's a good idea. Well, we're to ask for money for the damage they've done over a 50-year period. So if there's damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages," he added.

Earlier, Trump rejected Iran's demand for financial compensation over damages incurred during the US-Israeli military operations in the country, asserting that Tehran must instead be held accountable for casualties resulting from its own actions.

Taking to Truth Social, the US president noted that Iranian representatives were seeking compensation for damage caused during the "last five months Military Conflict", which he stated erupted after Iran refused to give up its nuclear weapons ambition.

Describing Iran's demand for compensation as an "interesting idea", Trump indicated that he would present a counter-demand during future diplomatic negotiations.

The US president stated that Tehran must face claims for financial restitution over casualties and injuries caused by attacks linked to Iran, including the 2000 USS Cole bombing and several other regional incidents.

"I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Trump made specific reference to Iran's late military commander Qassem Soleimani, alleging that Tehran's leadership was involved in conflicts that led to thousands of fatalities. Soleimani was killed in a targeted drone strike authorised by Trump in 2020 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Extending the scope of his counter-claim, Trump also demanded compensation for the families of protesters who, he alleged, were killed by the Iranian regime over the past five decades. He further claimed that 52,000 people had lost their lives over the course of the last five months.

Confirming his stance, the US president stated that he has instructed American negotiators to integrate these conditions into all upcoming diplomatic talks with Tehran.

"I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations," Trump wrote.

The counter-demand follows Tehran linking war reparation claims to conditions for a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside the lifting of US sanctions and the end of naval blockades.