President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will demand compensation from Iran for victims of terrorism, and that the US 'won't pay a dollar' to Tehran, according to Channel 14's US correspondent Libby Alon. Alon framed the statement as part of a strategy to pressure Iran economically until it surrenders and agrees to negotiations on Trump's terms.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will demand compensation from Iran for victims of terrorism and that Washington "won't pay a dollar" to Tehran, according to Channel 14's US correspondent Libby Alon. Alon characterized the remarks as part of a strategy to economically pressure Iran until it capitulates and negotiates on Trump's terms.
The statement is the latest escalation in a rapid succession of Trump's compensation demands on the matter. On Monday evening, a series of Trump statements emerged within a short span. Initially, Trump instructed his envoys to demand reparations from Iran for American casualties including the USS Cole bombing and what he described as crackdown victims over 50 years. Shortly after, he acknowledged that Iran had requested compensation, calling it an "interesting idea," but then rejected that demand and instead insisted Iran pay for American lives lost. As the evening progressed, he expanded his demand to explicitly include casualties in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza, and cited 52,000 killed in the current conflict as part of his demand.
As The Zioneer has reported, Trump has repeatedly toughened his stance toward Iran in recent weeks, stating that Iran "wants a deal more than I do" and signaling a "maximum pressure" approach. In other exchanges, he dismissed a reporter's question about public support for Iran war funding, claiming Americans "demand" it. The latest remarks come amid ongoing US-Iran negotiations, with no immediate official response from Tehran.
What remains unclear is whether the "won't pay a dollar" declaration is a firm negotiating position or a tactical message aimed at increasing leverage. No details have been provided on how compensation would be calculated or enforced, and Iran has not yet publicly reacted to this specific statement.
12 developments
- StrongTrump: Iran 'desperate' for meeting, US won't give 'even ten cents'
- StrongTrump: 'Iran needs investments — we did billions in damage. Someone will have to help — it won't be us'
- StrongTrump claims US won't pay Iran $300 billion for reconstruction, fact-checking his own claim
- DevelopingTrump says Iran wants a deal, 'doesn't want to suffer an attack'
Source and signal
- Open-source intake