Iran claims the United States owes it a staggering $1 trillion for the economic damage caused by decades of sanctions. Ali Shamkhani, a senior Iranian official and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, made the bold accusation during a recent speech. He blamed Washington not only for harming Iran’s economy but also for allegedly backing terrorist groups to destabilize the region.
Shamkhani referred to the US and its allies as the “Arrogant Front” and accused them of waging a “hybrid war” against Iran. According to him, the US has openly admitted to creating groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda to drive a wedge between Iran and its neighboring countries. He claimed these actions were meant to protect America’s key ally in the Middle East, Israel while sowing chaos in the region.
The Trillion-Dollar Price Tag
The US first imposed sanctions on Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and Shamkhani says these sanctions have set Iran’s progress back by 25 years. He stated, “Americans should pay a trillion dollars in damages to Iran because they held back our country.”
Over the years, US sanctions have repeatedly targeted Iran’s economy, particularly its oil and financial sectors. These sanctions escalated in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled the US out of a nuclear deal that had previously provided some relief for Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.
In 2021, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former foreign minister, echoed these claims, stating that US sanctions had caused $1 trillion in economic harm. He insisted that the US must pay compensation before Iran would consider returning to the nuclear deal.
Iran’s Legal Action Against the US
Shamkhani’s remarks come in the wake of a recent Iranian court ruling. In December 2023, the court ordered the US government, including Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and even agencies like the CIA and NSA, to pay nearly $50 billion in damages. This ruling was linked to the 2020 assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general. The court also demanded a public apology to more than 3,000 Iranian citizens who had filed the lawsuit.
A History of Hostility
Relations between Iran and the US have been hostile for over four decades, with the US frequently accusing Iran of sponsoring terrorism. In turn, Iran has accused Washington of hypocrisy and destabilizing the Middle East. The only significant improvement in ties came in 2015, with the nuclear deal. However, that brief moment of cooperation was undone just three years later.
Now, Iran is making its case loud and clear: the US must answer for its actions. Shamkhani’s $1 trillion demand isn’t just about the money; it’s a statement of resistance against what he calls decades of injustice. Whether this demand will lead to actual reparations or further strain relations remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—Tehran is not backing down.
This clash between two long-time adversaries keeps the world watching. Will the US respond to these accusations, or will the tensions escalate further? Only time will tell.
