Trump rejects Iran’s compensation demand, says Tehran must instead pay for ‘all the people they killed’

WASHINGTON, Aug 10: Donald Trump on Monday rejected Iran’s demand for compensation over damages caused during the US-Israeli war on the country that assassinated their Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran should instead be held responsible for the deaths and injuries caused by its attacks, the US President has said.

Iran demands $300 billions in compensation from Washington for damage caused by the US and Israeli strikes, along with the release of up to $100 billion in frozen assets. This is one of several conditions Tehran has linked to a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

On Truth Social, Trump said Iran's demand for compensation was an “interesting idea” and said he would make a counter-demand in future negotiations. Trump said Iranian representatives were seeking compensation for damage caused during the “last five month military conflict,” which he said began because Iran would not agree to give up nuclear weapons. The US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28.

He also said compensation should also cover people killed or wounded in attacks and conflicts involving Iran, including the 2000 USS Cole bombing and other incidents.

“I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded,” Trump said.

Trump specifically referred to Iran's late military commander Qassem Soleimani and alleged that Tehran had been involved in conflicts that led to thousands of deaths. Soleimani was assassinated in a targeted drone strike ordered by Trump in 2020 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Trump also demanded compensation for families of protesters who, he alleged, were killed by the Iranian government over the past five decades.

He also claimed that 52,000 people had been killed in the last five months. “I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” Trump said.

'20 Warships Near Iran': US' Hormuz Warning Amid Trump's 'Semi-Negotiations'

WASHINGTON, Aug 10: The United States has reiterated that more than 20 of its warships remain deployed across the Middle East, enforcing a naval blockade against Iran even as President Donald Trump said Washington is only "semi-negotiating" with Tehran to end the war in the Middle East.

US Central Command (Centcom), in a post on X, said that US forces have redirected at least 55 commercial vessels, disabled two of them, and boarded two others since the blockade came into force.

"US Sailors stand watch on the bridge of USS Ross (DDG 71). Ross is one of over 20 US warships deployed to the Middle East supporting military missions, including strict enforcement of the US blockade against Iran. As of August 9, CENTCOM has redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled 2, and boarded 2 to ensure compliance," the post read.

The post came amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran maintaining its demands that must be met before it removes its chokehold from the strategic waterway for commercial shipping. The narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea -- through which about one-fifth of global crude and natural gas passes in peacetime-- has emerged as one of the major flashpoints in President Trump's war of choice.

Trump said in an interview with Axios that the US was "low-keying" it with Iran. "We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact that they have no money."

Trump ready to drop Iran nuclear deal push if Tehran reopens Hormuz: Report

WASHINGTON, Aug 9: US President Donald Trump is willing to end the West Asia conflict without a deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme if the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, The Wall Street Journal reported

The report suggests that Trump has been laying the groundwork to declare victory in the West Asia conflict if Iran reopens the waterway. The US President has reportedly indicated that he is willing to end the war without a deal on Iran's nuclear programme, and has earlier floated the idea privately to his senior aides, the report cited US officials as saying.

However, Tehran's renewed demands, which include billions of dollars in US payments to permit the free flow of marine traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, have added to the challenge. Iran has also asked for the removal of American troops from the region and the end of the US naval blockade on Iran, among other things.

The White House had, since the start of talks with Iran to end the conflict, maintained its ultimatum on Tehran's nuclear programme. Trump later attempted to postpone the caveat as part of broader negotiations with Iran, but the sticking point of Hormuz remained.

Tehran's latest demands suggest that Trump's options of walking away from the conflict have narrowed even further, WSJ reported. This could be owing to Iran's strategic leverage – it's ability to essentially choke of the critical Hormuz waterway through sporadic missile and drone attacks. Through these, it can stall commercial traffic, which further impacts the global markets.

In recent weeks, the US President has declared repeatedly that the strait remains open, but the waterway has remained shut. Trump has also made threats, warning of a “massive bombing campaign” against Iran. However, Tehran looks ready for a "long and grinding conflict, according to the report.

The US President's haste to end the conflict may also be owing to the upcoming midterm elections in America, scheduled to be held in less than three months' time. The price of gasoline, which is much higher than it was before the war started in late February, might be a cause of concern for Trump.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said they would not reopen the strait, until the US agreed to its list of demands, including the payment of compensation for war damage.

This came after Iran's security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr laid out a list of conditions on Saturday for the reopening of the waterway, which includes an end to the “war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq.”

Iran's Guards said their strategy was to maintain the closure, claiming that “until the enemy accepts all our conditions... the strait is now actually a theatre of war for us and not just a waterway.”

JD Vance says US weighing safe Hormuz route for ships as Iran reiterates demands

WASHINGTON, Aug 8: US Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday that Washington was ‘in the middle of the game’ in the Iran situation, trying to establish ‘a safe route’ in the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iran reiterated conditions for its reopening.

In an interview that aired on Fox News, Vance said that the US was applying 'a host of diplomatic, economic and military tools' to ensure America gets the best outcome.

Vance said that he felt quite confident, adding that “some progress” has been made in the Iran talks.

“Our expectation is you're going to see the same amount of oil and gas come out of the Gulf that you saw before the conflict started, and that is what the Iranians have told us that they are going to do. But you know, we don't trust. We verify,” Vance said. “We actually look not at people's words but people's deeds” he said

“What we're really working through now is how you can actually set up a traffic scheme so that the ships that pass can pass through safely. That includes, of course, demining,” Vance added.

Iran said on Saturday that it’s “very close” to a deal with Oman on a new maritime transit route in the Strait of Hormuz, but also put conditions for the reopening of the key waterway. The Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz will not open until the United States "corrects its behaviour," issuing new demands that could shake up talks on a deal to manage the waterway and its traffic.

Iran's state broadcaster published the statement by the council's secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who is also a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

The US must never threaten Iran again, the statement said, and must permanently end the war with Iran and its armed allies in the region. The US must lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw its military from the area. It also must "completely compensate" Iran for war damage, lift sanctions and "unconditionally" release frozen assets.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that negotiators are closing in on temporary lanes for ships entering and exiting the Persian Gulf. He cautioned that any agreement would not result in an immediate reopening of the strait, signalling that any respite for energy supplies may be limited.

Oman's foreign ministry said on Saturday that "ongoing negotiations regarding navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz are proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere", and urged against any actions that might jeopardise the progress.

The statement condemned "repeated attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz", without naming Iran.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said one of its vessels was targeted by missiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday, the United Arab Emirates’s state-run WAM news agency reported. The attack caused no injuries, and the situation has been brought under control, it added. Three other ships from the UAE’s biggest oil producer were attacked this week.

The incident highlights the ongoing risks for shippers attempting to cross during the conflict, as Iran insists on asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance dials Modi, discuss deepening India-US strategic ties

WASHINGTON, Aug 8: US vice president JD Vance dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday to discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership and to exchange views on regional and global issues.

The two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, defence, critical technologies and energy security, according to a readout from the Indian government.

“Received a phone call from US Vice President JD Vance. We discussed ways to further deepen India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership across key areas,” Modi said on social media.

Modi and Vance reviewed progress in the bilateral comprehensive global strategic partnership, and noted the “sustained momentum in the high-level engagements”, the readout said. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments, it said without going into details.

They “reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, critical and emerging technologies, energy security and critical minerals."

The phone call came against the backdrop of continuing negotiations between India and the US to conclude an interim bilateral trade agreement and differences over the tariff policies of the Trump administration. Modi has also spoken to President Donald Trump on phone several times this year and the two leaders met on the margins of the G7 Summit in France in June.

Modi said in his social media post that he had congratulated Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance “on the birth of their son and conveyed best wishes to the entire family”.

Vance and Usha announced the birth of their fourth child – Alec Neel Vance – on July 19. This is the first child born to a sitting US vice president in more than 150 years.

US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill; India risks tariffs over Russian oil

WASHINGTON, Aug 8: The US Senate on Friday passed a Russia sanctions bill that authorises tariffs of up to 100% on countries continuing significant purchases of Russian energy. The bill puts India among the nations that could face the measure if the legislation is enacted.

The bill is aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine by targeting not only Moscow but also countries that continue buying Russian oil and other energy products.

The legislation seeks to tighten economic pressure on Russia by expanding sanctions on Russian officials and increasing the cost for countries that continue trading in Russian energy.

One of its most significant provisions authorises tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian crude oil and other energy products. India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan are among the countries that could be affected under the proposal.

The bill was introduced in April 2025 and was authored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham. It has received backing from US President Donald Trump and has emerged as one of Washington's key legislative efforts to increase pressure on Moscow.

The Senate earlier advanced the legislation in a procedural vote by 86 votes to 12.

India has become one of the world's largest buyers of Russian crude oil since the Ukraine war reshaped global energy markets.

After China, India is the second-largest importer of Russian crude. Discounted Russian oil has helped Indian refiners manage costs and ensure stable fuel supplies.

India's reliance on Russian crude increased further after the conflict in West Asia disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. With Gulf supplies affected during the US war on Iran, Indian refiners turned more heavily towards Russian oil as an alternative source.

If the bill becomes law in its present form, the US President would be authorised to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries continuing significant purchases of Russian energy.

The legislation does not automatically impose tariffs immediately. It provides the legal framework for the US administration to take such action, with implementation depending on executive decisions and the final version of the law.

Trump Says Hormuz 'Sort Of Open', Reiterates Iran Nuclear Warning

WASHINGTON, Aug 7: US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz is currently "sort of open" and acknowledged that mines continue to pose risks to shipping in the strategic waterway.

Defending US action against Iran, Trump said the world cannot allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons, warning that an Iranian nuclear arsenal would be "catastrophic" and insisting that the United States will prevent it from happening.

Iran and Oman agree on coordinates of route through Hormuz, Iran's Foreign Ministry says

WASHINGTON, Aug 5: U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday or Thursday, while Iran and Oman inched toward an agreement to reopen the critical waterway and potentially help bring an end to the war.

“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” he said, adding “a lot of progress has been made.”

Iran and Oman agreed on coordinates of route through Hormuz, Iran's Foreign Ministry says
The geographic coordinates ‌for a shipping route ⁠through the Strait of Hormuz ‌have been agreed ‌by Iran ‌and ⁠Oman, and ⁠a joint announcement is being finalised, provided ‌no third parties interfere, Iran’s Foreign ‌Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on ⁠Wednesday

Baghaei added that any ‌such agreement between Iran and Oman would not, ‌by itself, guarantee security in the ⁠strategic waterway.

Meanwhile, the ‌United States has ⁠removed counterterrorism sanctions ‌from ‌two ‌aircraft ⁠and ⁠three airlines with links to ‌Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary ‌Guard Corps, according to ⁠details posted ‌to the U.S. ‌Treasury Department’s website on Wednesday.

Hormuz Strait may open 'in a day or two': Trump official says talks underway with Iran, breakthrough 'shortly'

WASHINGTON, Aug 4: The United States is in talks with Iran and an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz will be reached in a day or two, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has said.

Efforts to de-escalate tensions in West Asia are underway. The Strait of Hormuz, a key oil artery, was shut off by Iran following the US and Israeli assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.

“We’re in talks with the Iranians and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait,” Bessent told CNBC on Tuesday.

Asked if ships would have to pay a toll to use the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent said vessels would be allowed to pass freely. “I think it would be freedom of movement,” he said.

Qatar's foreign ministry, one of the main mediators between Washington and Tehran, said a proposed de-escalation resolution was currently being circulated among the parties.

“The proposed de-escalation resolution is being circulated between the parties,” the ministry said, as per a Bloomberg report.

US crude oil prices fell about 3% to below $78 a barrel on Tuesday. Prices could fall even more when ships stranded in the Persian Gulf are able to leave, Bessent said.

“It’s not just energy. It’s fertilizer, it’s refined products, it is the various industrial gasses,” he said. “We could see a big relief trade as those prices go down.”

'Deal Or Total Surrender': Trump Slams Iran's 'Duplicity' In Denying Talks

WASHINGTON, Aug 3: US President Donald Trump on Monday accused Iran's leadership of being "unbelievably duplicitous" and claimed that Tehran was privately seeking talks with Washington while publicly denying that any negotiations were taking place.

On Truth Social, Trump alleged that Iranian leaders requested a meeting and begun discussions, even as they publicly insisted they were only engaging with Oman.

"Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say 'beg,' talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they're not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they're only dealing with 'Oman,'" Trump wrote.

"Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a deal, or total surrender, is accomplished," he said.

The US president also claimed that Washington was embroiled in efforts to resolve the a long-running problem caused by Iran, regardless of Tehran's public position.

"Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades," Trump said.

Trump reveals US planned 'biggest attack since World War II' against Iran, but called it off

WASHINGTON, Aug 3: Days after the United States announced it would halt strikes against Iran, President Donald Trump stated that the country had planned a “massive attack” against the Islamic Republic. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the US president added that if carried out, the US's attack would have been the “biggest since World War II.”

"It was going to be a massive attack. It was going to be an attack that would have been by far the biggest attack since World War II," Trump told reporters.

He added that the US decided to halt its attacks after Gulf nations and Iran called on Washington to stop its attacks in order to reach a deal.

"I was asked to by Saudi Arabia, by UAE, and by Qatar, and by Iran. We were all set to go, just about at this time right now, and it would've been a massive attack... The reason they asked [to call it off] is they think there's a deal. There's a deal on Hormuz and then there will be a deal on the denuclearization of Iran," Trump said further.

However, the US president added that he will "see" where the negotiations go, and the US is "holding off" on the attack for the time being.

The US President also said that he would prefer to reach a deal with Iran, adding that he is not "looking to kill people."

During the Second World War, the US carried out at least three massive attacks. The first was in June 1994 under 'Operation Overlord,' where US, British and Canadian forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in France.

The second key attack was the bombing of Tokyo in March 1945, which killed around 90,000 to 100,000 people, marking the deadliest air raid of the war.

And the most devastating was the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 11, 1945, respectively. The US deployed atomic bombs called 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which resulted in the immediate loss of tens of thousands of people.

'Parameters Reached For Deal To End War': Trump, Netanyahu Hold Off New Iran Strikes

WASHINGTON, Aug 2: President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the US and Israel had agreed to "hold off" on planned strikes on Iran at the request of Tehran and other countries in the region, claiming that the Middle East allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the war.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said that the emerging deal "would include the immediate, complete, and total opening" of the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most vital energy conduit which has mostly been closed by Iran since the war broke out on February 28.

"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat," he said.

"Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," he added.

Trump said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu-led Israel -- which had conducted joint strikes with the American military in February, killing Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei -- has agreed to join the US in the commitment to try to complete the agreement with Iran that would bring about an end to the war.

"Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE," he said.

US tells citizens in West Asia to ‘be ready to leave' amid escalation fears

WASHINGTON, Aug 1: Embassies of the United States in several countries in West Asia have urged American citizens to “consider departing” the region amid fears of an escalation in the conflict with Iran.

“Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,” said a security alert, versions of which were posted by the US missions in Amman, Jerusalem and Baghdad on social media. The messages urged Americans in the region to check flight details and follow the safety advice by local authorities.

“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” the alert said. This comes even as US and Iran resumed overnight exchanges of fire this week after a brief halt in fighting.