Trump demands Iran compensate victims of attacks, citing US casualties

WEB DESK: US President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran should pay compensation for people he claimed were killed or seriously wounded in attacks involving Tehran, after Iran demanded compensation for damage caused by US and Israeli strikes.

Trump made the remarks on Truth Social after Iran said it was close to an agreement with Oman on new shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has said the waterway would not be reopened unless the United States meets conditions including compensation, an end to sanctions and a halt to military threats.

 “It is an interesting idea because now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran,” Trump said, referring to what he described as Iranian attacks that killed or seriously wounded people through roadside bombs and other conflicts.

Trump also demanded compensation from Iran over the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole at a Yemeni port. The attack killed 17 US sailors and wounded more than 30 others. The FBI has attributed the bombing to al Qaeda.

He further called for compensation for families of people killed during anti-government protests in January, which he described as Iran’s worst domestic unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of continuing a crackdown on opponents during the conflict.