In Their Words: How Trump's and his administration's statements on Iran evolved and conflicted

After widespread protests erupted in Iran in January, for example, Trump repeatedly threatened military strikes — only to back off after he said he was assured Tehran had halted killing protesters and not carried out planned executions — except international observers say the death toll from a crackdown over the protests exceeded 7,000. At the same time, following years of scoffing at, and openly campaigning against, the idea that previous conservatives administrations had been advocates for “regime change” missions, Trump seemed to change his mind and warm to the idea.

In the aftermath of Saturday's attacks, the president and other officials have offered multiple reasons they said the latest strikes on Iran were necessary — some of which conflict with what they said over the past eight months.

After the strikes last summer

—“THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!” — Trump in a June 24, 2025, post on Truth Social.

—“Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons." — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to CNN in a June 25, 2025, story

—“The precision strikes perfectly hit their targets and destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities, resulting in the total obliteration of Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon.” — The White House in a June 25, 2025, press release.

—“That is a false story and it’s one that really shouldn’t be re-reported.” — Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a June 25, 2025, interview with Politico commenting on news reports that a U.S. intelligence report suggested Iran’s nuclear program had only been set back a few months.

—“They’ve been trying it for 25 years. The last thing they’re going to do is nuclear. We had to hit them, though. They were close to getting a nuclear bomb. Absolutely.” — Trump to Fox News on June 30, 2025.

—“All three nuclear sites in Iran were completely destroyed and/or OBLITERATED. It would take years to bring them back into service and, if Iran wanted to do so, they would be much better off starting anew, in three different locations, prior to those sites being obliterated, should they decide to do so.” — Trump in a July 19, 2025, post on Truth Social.

—“They’ve rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.” — Trump during his Feb. 24 State of the Union.

“They have to say ’we’re not going to have a nuclear weapon, and they just can’t quite get there,” Trump on Feb. 27, 2026, telling reporters while visiting Texas that he wasn’t happy with the negotiations with Iran.

Regime change in Iran

—“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” — Trump in a June 22, 2025 post on Truth Social, modifying his political campaign slogan to signify “Make Iran Great Again.”

—“Our view has been very clear that we don’t want to regime change. We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it’s already been built out. We want to end their nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here. We believe very strongly that there are two pathways. There’s a pathway where Iran continues to fund terrorism, continues to try to build a nuclear program, attacks American troops. That’s the bad pathway for Iran, and it will be met with overwhelming force." — Vice President JD Vance to NBC News on June 22, 2025.

—“I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'" — Trump on June 27, 2025, on Truth Social, after saying that he knew exactly where Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was sheltered during the June strikes. Khamenei was killed in Saturday's strikes.

—“Seems like that would be the best thing that could happen. For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off.” — Trump to reporters on Feb. 13 when asked about regime change.

—“There might be, and there might not be.” — Trump on Friday to reporters when asked if using the military right now could mean regime change. He added: “It would be nice if we could do it without, but sometimes you have to do it with.”

—“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” in a Feb. 28 Truth Social post that implied that taking out Khamenei and regime change was the goal of the latest strikes.

—“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.” — Trump in a video message on Feb. 28.

—“I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment—to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country." — Trump in a video statement on Sunday in which he also urged members of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and military police to lay down their arms.

—“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change." — Hegseth at a March 2 briefing with reporters at the Pentagon.

The threat of ballistic missiles

—“Iran possesses a very large number of ballistic missiles, particularly short range ballistic missiles, that threaten the United States and our bases in the region, and our partners in the region, and all of our bases in the U.A.E. and Qatar and Bahrain." — Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reporters on Feb. 25.

—“The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases — both local and overseas — and would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America." — Trump during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on March 2.

—Iran “was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.” — Hegseth during the Monday Pentagon briefing.

Protecting the lives of protesters

—“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” — Trump on Truth Social Jan. 2.

—“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” — Trump on Truth Social on Jan. 10.

—“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!” — Trump on Truth Social on Jan. 13.

—“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping — it’s stopped, it’s stopping. And there’s no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions — so I’ve been told that on good authority.” — Trump on Jan. 14 at the White House.

—“You had yesterday scheduled over 800 hangings. They didn’t hang anyone. They canceled the hangings. That had a big impact." — Trump to reporters while leaving the White House on Jan. 16.

—“This was our last, best chance to strike — what we’re doing right now — and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime. And they are indeed sick and sinister.” — Trump, striking an entirely different tone at the Medal of Honor ceremony Monday. He also said he’d come to the conclusion: “You can’t deal with these people. You got to do it the right way.’”