President Donald Trump says the Strait of Hormuz is open and claims the U.S. is now in control of the critical shipping lane.
Trump told reporters Monday the U.S. controls the strait “one-hundred percent” and called the Navy’s blockade of ships heading to or from Iran “infallible.”
Iran disagrees, insisting it controls security in the strait and refusing to fully reopen it unless the U.S. meets a list of demands. Those include lifting sanctions and paying Iran for damage from the war.
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Trump says Iran should pay the U.S. instead.
“They asked for reparations, you might say, or they asked for money for the damage that we’ve done,” Trump said. “I said, ‘That’s a good idea.’ Well, we’re going to ask for money for that damage they’ve done over a 50-year period, whether you go SS Cole or whether you go all of the people that were so badly hurt, so badly wounded or killed, many thousands of people.”
Trump also said Iran should compensate the families of protesters killed by the Iranian government, including thousands he claims were killed in the last five months.
“We think their families should get damages for killing their person or their child or mother, father that were protesting. At least it was 52,000 a month and a half ago. So now what is it? So if there’s damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages,” he said.
Trump says he has instructed his negotiators to make compensation part of any future talks. He also added that the U.S. could “hit them really really hard,” alluding to a possible resumption of strikes.
New attacks in another key shipping lane
On Tuesday, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched more attacks on government-controlled areas in Yemen, raising concerns about renewed fighting there and threats to another key shipping lane.
Yemen’s military said the Red Sea port city of Mokha and the central province of Marib were both targeted with missiles and drones.
With the Strait of Hormuz still effectively shut down despite competing claims from the U.S. and Iran, the Red Sea has taken on greater importance as an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.
Round out your reading
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- Why did the Feds seize the ’largest Martian meteorite on Earth’?
- Photos and video show exactly where and when Trump visited Ground Zero after 9/11.
