US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran pay compensation for people he says were killed or seriously wounded in conflicts involving Tehran, escalating an already tense dispute over war reparations between the two countries. Tehran has also called for sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets as part of any diplomatic settlement. Iran has sought guarantees against renewed attacks, compensation for war damage and arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments. Iranian officials have previously rejected US suggestions that Iranian assets could be used to pay war-related claims. Can the US and Iran move beyond competing demands for compensation and put the safety and dignity of ordinary people at the centre of negotiations?