U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran pay compensation for casualties standardly linked to regional conflicts, attacks, and domestic protests, adding a fresh complication to efforts aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s new proposal comes in direct response to Tehran’s own demands for financial restitution and an end to U.S. sanctions—conditions that formed part of a preliminary peace agreement signed in June before negotiations collapsed.
Speaking at a White House event on Monday, Trump asserted that the U.S. Navy maintains total control over the strategic oil waterway, describing the naval posture as an "infallible" blockade.
"The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy," Trump said. "We have a blockade that's been infallible. It's a steel wall. And we let people in that we want to let in, and those people come in. They've been coming in and they're going out. So it's actually open now."
Trump added that U.S. forces have conducted minesweeping operations throughout the passage to secure commercial shipping while preventing vessels from accessing Iranian ports.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in February, Washington has alternated between threats of military escalation and assertions that a peace agreement remains within reach. The demand for Iranian compensation introduces a significant new hurdle as regional maritime security and global oil transit remain severely disrupted.
