Trump’s ‘War-o-Meter’: From indirect talks with Tehran to decapitation strikes, track the US President’s fluctuating Iran timelines

When will the Iran war, triggered by joint US and Israeli strikes on February 28, end? Many say that only President Donald Trump knows the answer. But the timelines given by the Republican leader have fluctuated wildly, sometimes even through the course of a single day. He has egged on protesters to take to Tehran’s streets, assuring them that help is on the way.

He has then held indirect talks with the Iranian leadership. He has warned that ‘all options remained on table’ and said ‘a deal remained within reach’, only to launch airstrikes that claimed the life of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with a list of its military leaders.

Even a week after the strikes — with the Iranian regime hitting back at Gulf nations with US bases, besides Israel, and oil and stock markets spooked — he has claimed the war is “very complete” as no target was left to be hit in Iran. A reversal came the same day.

We track the many headways and about-turns taken by the US Commander-in-Chief as the fate of West Asia hangs in balance.