Trump: Iran must pay for ship damages from now on

U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Iran will be held accountable for any damages to ships, stating that such incidents will henceforth be settled using Iranian funds under U.S. control. Trump announced this policy on his social media platform, Truth Social.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi issued a warning via the platform X, calling the U.S. president's stance a "highly dangerous precedent." Araqchi cautioned other nations, urging them to consider the consequences of celebrating or profiting from such actions. "Once governments normalize confiscation, no one's assets are safe. The resulting chaos will be neither beautiful nor peaceful," he wrote.

The legal basis and implementation method for Trump's announced action remain unclear. The U.S. president described it as a "fair and just approach," even though the potential compensation could be substantial. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated earlier this month after Iranian forces fired upon merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil trade. While Trump did not explicitly name the Strait of Hormuz in his post, U.S. military actions against Iran have been ongoing, aimed at deterring further attacks on commercial vessels and sailors.