"I also demand that Iran compensate the victims killed and severely injured by their roadside bombs and the numerous conflicts they instigated", US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on 10/8.

"Not to mention the 52,000 deaths in the past five months, Iran must also compensate the families of hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters they have murdered over the past 50 years", he added.

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, White House, 10/8. Photo: AFP

President Trump also cited the bloody 2000 bombing of the destroyer USS Cole at a Yemen port to demand compensation from Iran, despite the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) having concluded that al-Qaeda was responsible for the attack, which killed 17 sailors and injured over 30.

In a subsequent post, he further declared that Iran is responsible for the deaths and damages it has caused in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza.

The US President's demands came in response to six conditions Iran set for reopening the Hormuz Strait. These conditions include an end to threats, a halt to military operations targeting Iran and its regional allies, the lifting of the maritime blockade, compensation for damages, the removal of sanctions, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.

However, Mr. Trump's demand for reparations will likely be immediately rejected by Iranian leaders during any negotiations to reopen Hormuz. The strait, a vital route, previously accounted for 20% of global oil traffic before the US and Israel launched an assault campaign against Iran in February. Despite repeated claims from the President and other high-level US negotiators that an agreement was very close, no results have been achieved to date.

Last week, President Trump warned of inflicting a "very heavy blow" on Iran, potentially targeting civilian infrastructure, but later withdrew the attack plan. Over the weekend, the US leader indicated he is "moderating" his approach to the conflict, implying a readiness to increase economic pressure instead of continuing military strikes.

With negotiations deadlocked, Iran's blockade of the Hormuz Strait has caused fuel prices to skyrocket and destabilized the global economy. This situation increases pressure on Mr. Trump ahead of the midterm elections in November in the US.

Vu Hoang (According to Reuters, AFP, Guardian)