Trump Demands 50 Years of Compensation From Iran, Complicating Strait of Hormuz Reopening Talks

Al Jazeera reported that US President Donald Trump said at the White House on Monday, August 10, 2026 (19 Mordad 1405), that his administration would seek compensation for damage it says Iran caused over the past 50 years, a remark made in response to Iran's earlier demand for war reparations as a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump claimed 52,000 people had been killed in Iran over the past four months, a figure that does not match Iran's own official count (3,117 deaths in the January protests) or the estimate from the non-governmental group HRANA (about 7,000 deaths). He also called for compensation for the families of 17 US sailors killed in the 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, an attack that has been attributed to al-Qaeda, not Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state media that talks with Oman over the strait were "progressing smoothly and constructively" and that agreement had been reached on a shipping route map, though some technical issues remain unresolved. He described the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as an "act of aggression." Charles Kupchan, an analyst and former special assistant to President Obama, described Trump's compensation remarks as "banter" and said both sides have strong incentives to reach a deal.