Trump demands Iran pay reparations for U.S. military and civilian deaths

President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he will demand war reparations from Iran for the deaths of U.S. soldiers and civilians, as well as for Iranian-government-linked killings of protesters over the past five decades. He said the demand mirrors Iranian negotiators’ claims for damages related to a recent five-month war that has devastated Iran’s military and economy.

"Now I am likewise 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 Gen Soleimani, including the families of those killed on the USS Cole, and thousands of others killed in combat," Trump wrote.

"Additionally, compensation should be paid to the families of the hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters 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 added.

The statement comes as diplomatic talks aimed at ending hostilities in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon and reopening the Strait of Hormuz have stalled. The strait, which carries about 20 % of global oil shipments, has been closed since joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also rejected a U.S.-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza, insisting that Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal. Trump has not publicly responded to Netanyahu’s remarks, though he later described his relationship with the Israeli leader as “very good.”

In a follow-up post, Trump expanded his demand, stating that Iran should also be held responsible for damages and deaths in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza.

Analysts note that the reparations demand is unlikely to be accepted by Tehran and could further complicate negotiations that have already faced multiple setbacks ahead of the November midterm elections.