Washington, July 24 : US President Donald Trump said that any future damages to ships, cargo or related property will be paid using Iranian funds held under US control.

"Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do," Trump wrote.

The US president did not specify what types of incidents would qualify for cases to use Iranian assets, Xinhua news agency reported.

The remarks came as the United States continued airstrikes against Iran amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Earlier, Trump has said that Iran was "not ready to make a deal" over its nuclear programme despite suffering heavy military pressure, asserting that Tehran continued to change its negotiating position even as the United States remained determined to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Paying tribute to four American service members killed in the conflict with Iran, Trump, at a campaign-style rally in Georgia on Wednesday (local time), defended his administration's military and diplomatic approach towards Tehran while portraying the confrontation as part of a broader effort to restore American strength abroad.

"The stock market has set -- and that's what this skirmish we have going on. I call it a skirmish. This is what this skirmish we have with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump said.

"This is despite this, it's going on. The stock market has hit 73 all-time highs since the election," he added, linking the military confrontation with what he described as continued economic confidence in the United States.

/IANS