Trump demands Iran compensate Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza victims

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday responded to Iranian demands for compensation over the ongoing five-month conflict by issuing a counterclaim, holding Tehran responsible for decades of casualties from its operations. He instructed his representatives to "firmly include this demand in any and all upcoming negotiations."

In his post, Trump said Iranian officials "are seeking compensation for damages they suffered during the military conflict over the past five months—which began because they will not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon—even though this was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or meetings." He added sarcastically, "But it’s an interesting idea, because now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran."

Trump then listed his counterclaims: "Everyone killed or seriously wounded by their roadside bombs and numerous conflicts they became infamous for, initially led by General Soleimani, including the families of those killed on the USS Cole and thousands of others killed in battles." He also included "the families of hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters killed by Iran over the past fifty years, not to mention the 52,000 killed in the last five months."

Extending claims beyond 50 years

The US president did not stop at the 50-year tally, but added a new demand: compensation for the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza for damages and casualties.

The post comes amid ongoing tensions over settlement terms between Washington and Tehran. Iran insists the US must "correct its behavior" before reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington maintains that any deal must include reopening the strait and "ending the Iranian nuclear threat."