Trump scoffs at Iran’s demand for war reparations

President Donald Trump dismissed Iran’s call for war reparations, saying Tehran’s negotiators had not raised the issue until now. Speaking on Monday, Trump countered Iranian demands by demanding compensation from Iran for casualties caused by its roadside bombs and other conflicts. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei had earlier warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States ends its blockade of Iranian ports, lifts economic sanctions, releases frozen Iranian assets and pays compensation for war damage. Baghaei stated, “It is up to the U.S. side to halt and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” a remark Trump rejected. Trump said he is now demanding “compensation from Iran, for each of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts.” He added that he has “instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” according to his social‑media post. The White House attributes hundreds of American deaths and injuries over several decades to Iran‑backed militants, citing the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. service members and the loss of at least 603 U.S. troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011. Trump also said he expects Tehran to compensate families of Iranian protesters killed during domestic unrest. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one‑fifth of global oil supplies traveled before the conflict, has kept energy prices high and remained a focal point for U.S. policymakers ahead of the November midterm elections. In related developments, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country’s supreme leader is urging unity amid economic hardship and sanctions. Pezeshkian described a roughly seven‑hour meeting with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, noting discussions on livelihoods, market conditions, employment, housing and the impact of U.S. sanctions. He quoted Khamenei’s emphasis on cohesion: “All of the enemy’s plans are aimed at creating division,” Pezeshkian said. “What we have to do is prevent divisions from emerging.” This marked only the second time Pezeshkian has met with the appointed leader since Khamenei succeeded his father following a U.S.-Israeli strike that wounded the elder cleric. Iran also announced a new appointment to its top security body. On Sunday, Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of the Revolutionary Guard (1981‑1997) and a current adviser to the supreme leader, was named head of the Supreme National Security Council. Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who will become a governmental adviser to Khamenei. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War observe that while Rezaei appears willing to negotiate to secure Iran’s maximalist goals—including control of the Strait of Hormuz—he has been “unwilling to concede any Iranian concessions.” Elsewhere, Israel declared the Christian‑majority town of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank a closed military zone to keep out settlers and non‑residents. The measure aims to curb arson, vandalism and settler incursions onto private and communal property, while allowing Palestinian residents and journalists to pass unless deemed a security threat. Israeli forces will detain suspects and disperse gatherings to maintain peace. The designation follows months of struggle to enforce order in the area, where the Palestinian Health Ministry reports at least 87 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in 2026. In Yemen, Houthi rebels launched an attack on the Red Sea port town of Mokha on Sunday, killing seven and injuring thirty. Yemen’s Defense Ministry, operating under the internationally recognized government, reported four military personnel and three civilians among the dead. Clashes continued Monday near Taiz, with the Houthis stating a 13‑year‑old child was killed by artillery fire and another child wounded. The Mokha strike is part of a broader wave of Houthi offensives against Yemeni government positions and Saudi‑backed areas since the 2022 truce, renewing focus on Red Sea shipping lanes and the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait.