President Donald Trump’s decision Thursday to cancel planned military strikes against Iran was the latest twist in a monthslong cycle of threats, self-imposed deadlines and extensions that have repeatedly brought the United States and Iran to the brink of escalation — before pulling back.
Since the beginning of the Feb. 28 conflict, Trump has publicly set at least eight deadlines for military action against Iran, only to cancel them.
The latest pause came Thursday. Trump spent the morning threatening that the U.S. was prepared to escalate its military campaign against Iran, pledging strikes that would be “bigger” and “more powerful” as the two countries exchanged fire for a third time this week. Trump also threatened to target Iran’s energy sector, warning that the U.S. would take control of Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub.
Hours later, Trump called off strikes he said were scheduled for that evening, saying discussions with Tehran have been “approved by all parties involved.”
However, Iran state-run media reported that Tehran has not approved any agreements.
These repeated reversals have highlighted the volatile and unpredictable nature of the fragile talks, which have oscillated between warnings of imminent military action and optimistic declarations that a deal is close at hand.
Below is a timeline of each time Trump has publicly delayed or canceled planned military action since the conflict began, according to MS NOW’s count.
March 21
The cycle began when Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum on March 21, warning that Iran’s electrical infrastructure could be targeted if Tehran failed to comply with U.S. demands.
March 23
Two days later, on March 23, Trump delayed planned strikes by five days, saying negotiations were moving toward a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities.
March 26
Three days after that, Trump pushed back a deadline for attacks on Iranian electrical facilities by 11 days, saying talks were progressing “very well.”
April 5
In April, Trump revised deadlines tied to demands that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On April 5, the White House confirmed Trump had shifted a deadline after previously signaling action could come sooner.