US President Donald Trump signs an executive order on vaccine flexibility at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday (local time). [Reuters]
US President Donald Trump signs an executive order on vaccine flexibility at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday (local time). [Reuters]

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US President Donald Trump shot back Monday (local time) at Iran's demand for war reparations, saying it is Iran that owes compensation — for past terrorist attacks and the killing of its own protesters.

Trump made the remarks on Truth Social, saying "representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are demanding reparations for damages suffered during the past five months of military conflict."

The post appeared to be a response to a statement issued Saturday by Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who outlined six conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz through Iranian state media. Those conditions included lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions, withdrawing US forces from the region, and paying reparations for what Iran called "two wars of aggression."

Trump said the reparations demand "has not been mentioned in any of our negotiations or talks," but added: "It is, however, an interesting thought, because now I want reparations from Iran, also."

He called for compensation "for all of the people killed or wounded by Iran's roadside bombs and infamous conflicts, which were led, initially, by General Soleimani" — a reference to Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed by a US strike in 2020. Trump said the demand also covers "the families of those killed on the USS Cole, and the thousands of others who died in battle."

The USS Cole attack refers to the October 2000 bombing of the US Navy destroyer in Yemen, in which 17 sailors were killed. The attack was attributed to al-Qaeda.

Trump went on to say that reparations should also be paid "to the families of the hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters killed by Iran over the last 50 years — not to mention the 52,000 who died over the last five months."

Trump said he had "instructed my representatives to firmly raise this issue in all future negotiations."

Iran is unlikely to accept Trump's demands, suggesting the post was also intended as a rejection of Tehran's own reparations claim.


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