President Trump Wants Iran to Pay Compensation for Dead and Injured Victims

President Trump. (Twitter/@WhiteHouse)

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would demand compensation for the conflict from Iran as part of peace negotiations, referring to various attacks and atrocities over decades allegedly supported or carried out by Tehran.

Iran "is asking for compensation for the damage they suffered during the last five months of military conflict. I also demand compensation from Iran for all those they have killed and seriously injured as a result of roadside bombs and various conflicts," President Trump wrote on Truth Social, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (11/8).

In a pattern that has now become habitual, last week President Trump threatened to attack Iran "very hard" - potentially targeting civilian infrastructure - but then backed down and hinted that a peace deal was imminent.

His latest comment on the Truth Social platform comes a day after he said he would take a "more calm" approach to the conflict, hinting at his readiness to let economic pressure increase instead of carrying out further military attacks.

Axios reported in an interview published Sunday that the US President did not show frustration with Iran's attitude of delaying an agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran demands that the US first end the blockade of Iranian ports and lift sanctions on its oil industry.

Then on Monday, President Trump said the US military had cleared mines throughout the strait and the US had full control over the waterway.

Amid the stalled negotiations, Iran's blockade of the strait has caused a spike in fuel prices and rattled the global economy, putting pressure on Trump ahead of November's midterm elections.

In his post, President Trump alluded to the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 and added that compensation should also be "paid to the families of hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters who have been killed by Iran over the past 50 years."

"I have instructed my representatives to include this explicitly in all future negotiations," he said.