‘We’ll Ask for 50 Years of Damages’: Trump Demands Iran Pay Reparations to Americans and Protesters

In a striking diplomatic countermove, President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran pay compensation to Americans killed or wounded in attacks tied to Tehran, as well as to the families of Iranian protesters killed by the regime. The president’s declaration, made in a series of Truth Social posts on Monday, comes after senior Iranian officials demanded reparations from Washington as a condition for reopening the critical 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, “even though it was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or meetings!”

Trump escalated the stakes by framing Tehran’s request as an opening for broader U.S. demands. He called Iran’s request “an interesting idea” before declaring that he is now 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.” He further stated that Tehran should compensate 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” . Trump confirmed he has “instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any and all future negotiations” . The president’s remarks signal a hardening of the U.S. position, as Tehran has set its own conditions for reopening the strategic waterway, including an end to the U.S. blockade, the lifting of sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets . When asked if Iran had exhausted its chances to reach a deal, Trump responded, “You’ll find out, you’ll find out.”