Trump Rejects Claims That Iran Could Force US to Pay for Strikes

President Donald Trump rejected the idea that Iran could compel the U.S. to pay compensation for damage caused during joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes.

Speaking during a Fourth of July event at the White House, Trump said the request was “pretty ridiculous.”

Earlier in the week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

He called on the U.N. to hold both the U.S. and Israel responsible for initiating the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict.

In the letter, Araghchi requested that the U.N. Security Council officially label the U.S. and Israel as aggressors and demanded compensation and reparations for the damage caused.

Trump praised the operation, which he said resulted in the “complete obliteration” of nuclear sites in Tehran. Iran, meanwhile, sought support from the international community for relief.

According to Araghchi, hospitals, relief centers, and energy facilities were hit during the strikes.

He accused the U.S. and Israel of violating international humanitarian law and targeting infrastructure meant for civilians, per the Daily Mail.

Araghchi warned that a lack of action by the U.N. would damage its credibility and promote lawlessness in international relations.

The U.S. submitted a letter to the U.N. Security Council in response. It stated that the strikes aimed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities and prevent the regime from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The U.S. invoked Article 51 of the U.N. Charter to justify its actions. This article permits member states to act in self-defense but requires them to notify the Security Council immediately after such action.

Despite the conflict, acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea wrote that the U.S. remains committed to reaching a deal with the Iranian government.

Israel contends that Iran is close to producing a nuclear bomb, while Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

The conflict began as U.S. and Iranian officials engaged in nuclear negotiations. Iran retaliated during the war by striking U.S. and Israeli military and civilian targets.

Under a 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium to a purity level of 3.67% for civilian energy use. After Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, Iran increased enrichment to 60%, which is below weapons-grade but above civilian-use levels.

Experts believe that, if further enriched, Iran’s uranium stockpile could produce material sufficient for more than nine nuclear weapons.

Trump celebrated the strike carried out by seven U.S. B-2 bombers, which dropped 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz facilities. The administration pushed back on media reports that questioned the mission’s success.

CNN published details from preliminary intelligence assessments, citing anonymous sources. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized the reporting and targeted CNN journalist Natasha Bertrand.

Trump demanded Bertrand be fired, calling her dishonest and saying she lacked the skills for on-air journalism. He called CNN a “Fake News” network and blamed it for spreading misinformation.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also named Bertrand, accusing her of pushing false narratives against Trump on behalf of others in the U.S. government.

CNN defended Bertrand and her colleagues, saying their reporting was accurate and in the public interest. The network called the attacks on Bertrand irrational and unjustified.

At a press conference, Hegseth praised U.S. forces and criticized what he called biased leaks. Trump praised the event, urging media outlets to apologize to the military and recognize the mission’s success.

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