Trump demands compensation from Iran and will include it in talks
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is "also demanding compensation from Iran," noting that he has instructed his representatives to include this issue in any future negotiations. When two states that have barely emerged from a military conflict begin to haggle not only over borders but also over money and lives, diplomacy turns into an auction where the stakes are measured not only in dollars but also in human destinies. Trump, known for his blunt style, unexpectedly supported the idea of Iranian demands but immediately countered with his own claims – for killed and wounded Americans, for destruction in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza.
This is not just an exchange of posts on social media; it is a bid to turn any future talks into a bargaining session where each side will present its own bill for past grievances. And while the US president writes about compensation, Iran's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council is issuing his own list of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz – and that list also includes a clause on war reparations. The path to peace increasingly resembles a road littered with mutual invoices.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that he had seen "representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran demanding compensation for the damage inflicted on them during the five month military conflict," but claimed that this "was never mentioned" in any talks or meetings. Calling it an "interesting idea," Trump said he is "also demanding compensation from Iran for all the people they killed and seriously wounded with their roadside bombs and numerous conflicts." In another post shortly afterwards, Trump said that "Iran must be held responsible for the damage and loss of life in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza."
Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened until the United States "corrects its behaviour," Iranian media reported on Saturday. Zolqadr noted that reopening the strait depends on the United States meeting a number of conditions: they must definitively end the war against Iran and its armed allies in the region; they must stop threatening Iran; they must lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports; they must compensate Iran for war damage; and they must lift sanctions and "unconditionally" release frozen or confiscated assets.
The five month conflict between the US and Iran has left deep scars on both sides. Following joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian cities in February 2026, in which Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed, Iran responded with massive rocket attacks on US bases in the region. Since then, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blockaded for US and Israeli linked vessels. Trump's demands for compensation are likely a tactical move to harden the position ahead of possible talks.
However, the Iranian side, for its part, is setting equally tough conditions, including not only the lifting of sanctions but also compensation. The situation remains extremely tense, and any step could either defuse the crisis or trigger a new round of escalation. Experts note that mutual compensation claims make the negotiating process even more complicated, as each side will seek to minimise its own payments and maximise its demands.
As CCTV+ reports, the mutual compensation claims between the US and Iran have become a new stumbling block on the path to resolution, and while diplomats try to find common ground, the people of the region continue to pay the highest price – with their lives and security.
