US President Donald Trump said he would demand that Iran pay compensation for deaths and injuries caused over recent decades, in a move he portrayed as part of efforts to end wider conflicts and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The statement, made in a post on Truth Social, marks the latest sign of friction around talks aimed at winding down the war in the region and restarting shipping through one of the world’s most important oil routes. Reparations demand on Truth SocialTrump said he was issuing a demand for “war reparations” after Iranian negotiators raised similar claims for damage linked to fighting that has lasted about five months and has killed thousands, he said. He claimed Iran’s attacks include “roadside bombs” and other conflicts associated with figures such as General Qassem Soleimani, and he said the request covers the families of people killed in combat, including those connected to the USS Cole. Trump also said compensation should be paid to families of “hundreds of thousands” of protesters he said Iran has killed over the past 50 years, adding that he believed 52,000 people had been killed in the past five months. Talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz stallThe reparations demand is likely to be difficult for Iran’s leadership to accept, coming as Trump and other senior US negotiators continue to work, without success so far, on an arrangement they have repeatedly described as close to completion. The aim is to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil trade flowed before the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in late February. Despite US officials saying a deal was imminent on multiple occasions, no agreement has materialised, and Trump’s comments add further pressure to negotiations that are already being closely watched by regional governments and oil markets. Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza roadmapThe remarks also followed fresh setbacks in Trump’s push to end multiple Middle East conflicts before the November midterm elections, when high oil prices and inflation could affect Republican support. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he rejected Trump’s “Board of Peace” 15-point plan for ending Israel’s war in Gaza. Netanyahu said Hamas must fully disarm before Israel would consider withdrawing from Gaza, opposing the phased withdrawal approach set out in the proposal. He presented his position as a refusal to accept US pressure on Israel’s war aims, saying: “Unlike all those who lecture us, we do what needs to be done for Israel’s security, and we can and know how to stand our ground, even against our best friends when necessary.” Trump had not responded to Netanyahu’s statement by the time of reporting, but earlier on Monday, when asked a question in the Oval Office, he said his relationship with Netanyahu was “very good”. Trump expands scope of demandsTrump said the reparations demands would also extend beyond the immediate conflict, broadening the targets after his first post. About an hour later, he wrote that, for the purposes of the Iran negotiations, Iran should be held responsible for damage and deaths affecting people in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza. Join the discussion? 11 August 2026
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