Donald Trump's Shifting Threats and Truces Regarding Iran

Donald Trump has issued a series of aggressive military threats against Iran since the conflict began on February 28, frequently alternating between promises of severe strikes and announcements of pauses or truces. On March 21, Trump threatened to obliterate Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened within 48 hours, though he later extended this deadline twice. By April 7, he posted a threat that a whole civilization would die that night, only to announce a two week suspension of bombing hours later after speaking with leaders in Pakistan. In June, Trump announced the United States would hit Iran very hard that night and target oil infrastructure at Kharg Island, but he cancelled the strikes five hours later citing progress in negotiations. While an interim deal was signed in June, fighting re-intensified within a month as Iran hit US facilities and US forces struck Iranian coastal defenses, bridges, and infrastructure. Most recently, Trump told his cabinet on July 31 that the US would hit Iran very hard, but claimed on August 1 that he was holding off on attacks because the perimeters of a deal had been agreed to. Iran's state media denied that any such request to hold off attacks was made.