Trump Fires Back at Iran With New Ultimatum: Compensation Must Come First

President Donald Trump has set a new precondition for talks with Iran, declaring that Tehran must compensate victims of its violence before any agreement can be reached. The demand comes after Iranian officials said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States provides compensation for damage Iran sustained during a recent five-month military conflict.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump responded to Iran's compensation request, noting that the condition had never been raised in prior negotiations. He pivoted to his own demands, stating: "But it is an interesting idea because 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 General Soleimani, including the families of those killed on the USS Cole, and thousands of others killed in combat."

Trump expanded his list of grievances to include what he characterized as casualties among Iranian civilians. "Additionally, compensation should be paid to 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 instructed his representatives to incorporate these demands into future negotiations with Iran.