President Trump, in the Oval Office, on the day he said that the United States has no interest in holding talks with Iran unless Tehran is prepared to engage in what he called ”meaningful” negotiations, July 21, 2026.Pool / ZUMA
On March 9, President Donald Trump said the war in Iran was “very complete, pretty much.” That was Day 10 of the conflict. Now it’s nearly Day 180.
After Trump and Israel launched “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran on February 28, the president predicted a quick military victory and said “there will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” Within weeks, the hardline stance gave way to negotiations aimed at a deal that would deliver the core US demands of Iranian denuclearization and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Six months later, there’s still no deal and no end date to a conflict that has cost the US $37.5 billion, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s July testimony to Congress. And this week, the administration pivoted again, unveiling “Operation Economic Outcast,” a sweeping sanctions campaign to isolate Iran from the global financial system, a tacit admission that six months of bombing didn’t get the job done.
In between, there has been a long trail of promises that a deal with Iran was close, mixed with threats that the US would “finish them off” if it wasn’t. Watch the timeline in Trump’s own words.