Trump Demands Iran Pay for Past Attacks as Hormuz Standoff Persists

President Donald Trump took elaborate steps to conceal his return from a NATO summit in Turkey last month after U.S. intelligence picked up credible threats of an Iranian missile strike on Air Force One, according to multiple reports. The episode, which involved switching planes mid-route and slipping into a catering truck, has added to questions about the stability of ongoing talks over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran continues to block commercial shipping despite U.S. claims of control.

Trump boarded what was presented as the presidential aircraft in Ankara before quietly transferring to a military plane for the journey back to the United States. He later posted on his Truth Social platform that the switch was merely for nostalgia and to let service members see the newer aircraft. The White House had initially described the trip as routine, but the covert routing came after warnings of an attack tied to the broader conflict that began in February.

The secrecy around the return flight coincides with a deepening impasse in negotiations. Iran has refused to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes, until the United States lifts sanctions, pays reparations, unfreezes assets and ends its naval blockade. Trump has countered by demanding that Iran compensate the United States for deaths and injuries from roadside bombs, the 2000 USS Cole attack and other incidents dating back decades, including recent casualties in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza. He described the Iranian demand for compensation as an “interesting idea” that prompted his own list of grievances.

In public statements, Trump has portrayed Iran as economically desperate, citing inflation rates above 300 percent and unpaid soldiers. He told reporters that the United States maintains an “infallible” blockade and that the strait remains open to vessels the administration approves. Maritime data, however, shows traffic through the waterway has fallen below 10 percent of prewar levels, with Iran retaining the capacity to target ships using drones. Oil prices rose 5 percent on Monday amid the lack of progress.

Iran’s foreign ministry has dismissed U.S. sanctions policy as ineffective and accused Washington of preferring economic pressure over genuine diplomacy. Tehran’s conditions for reopening the strait remain unchanged, and officials have signaled they are prepared to absorb further hardship rather than concede quickly. The standoff has forced some shipping toward longer routes around Africa or through the Red Sea, where Iranian-backed Houthi forces have renewed attacks on ports and facilities in Yemen.

The combination of the hidden flight from Turkey and the stalled Hormuz talks has left allies and markets uncertain about Washington’s next steps. Trump has alternated between threats of further military action and assertions that Iran’s financial distress will eventually force a deal. So far, those assertions have not produced movement at the negotiating table.