Trump's Iran war threats have repeatedly shifted

US President Donald Trump's public threats over the war with Iran have repeatedly shifted, with deadlines for attacks followed by extensions, suspensions or claims of diplomatic progress.

Since the conflict erupted on February 28, Trump has repeatedly declared victory, claimed Iran's military capabilities were defeated and later threatened Tehran with more strikes.

On March 21, Trump threatened on Truth Social to hit Iranian power plants if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Two days later, he extended the deadline for five days, citing “very good and productive conversations” with Iran, then paused the “period of Energy Plant destruction” for 10 days to April 6.

On April 5, Trump again demanded that Iran open the strait. On April 7, he posted: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Hours later, he said he agreed to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for two weeks after accepting a truce proposal from war mediators and speaking to leaders in Pakistan.

On June 11, Trump said the United States would hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT” and would later take Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure locations. Five hours later, he said he had “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” citing progress in negotiations toward a deal to end the war.

An interim deal to end the fighting was signed in June, but within a month the conflict re-intensified. Iran hit US facilities across the Middle East, while US forces struck Iranian coastal defences and expanded targets to include bridges and infrastructure.

On July 31, Trump told a cabinet meeting: “We'll be hitting them very hard, and you know at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'”

On August 1, Trump said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked the United States to hold off any attack and claimed that “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.” Iran's state media denied that Tehran had made such a request.