President Donald Trump said Monday he will seek compensation from Iran for the deaths of U.S. soldiers, responding to Tehran's request for war reparations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was likewise demanding compensation, calling it a tit-for-tat after Iranian representatives asked for damages from the recent five-month military conflict.
Trump said his claim extends beyond the current war to attacks Iran is widely believed to have facilitated through allied militias against U.S. troops, stretching back more than two decades since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. He also said the conflict stemmed from Iran's refusal to give up nuclear weapons, though he noted that issue was never mentioned in earlier negotiations.
The dueling positions show how far apart Washington and Tehran remain even as both sides have talked of winding down regional hostilities. Trump also claimed total U.S. control of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway at the center of the dispute.