Six months after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, US President Donald Trump published at least 319 posts mentioning Iran on Truth Social, averaging roughly one post every 14 hours, according to an Al Jazeera analysis of platform records spanning February 28 to August 25. Read in sequence, these posts document how a war was announced, prosecuted, declared won, negotiated, and later reopened entirely through the president’s own digital record.
From Hardline Threats to Major Combat Operations
In the weeks leading up to the February 28 military action, Iran appeared in 17 posts between January 1 and February 27, according to Al Jazeera’s review. Trump blended hardline warnings with transactional diplomacy, urging Tehran to negotiate while threatening 25 percent tariffs on nations doing business with Iran. On January 28, he announced that a massive armada was heading to Iran, escalating tensions ahead of Operation Midnight Hammer.
On February 28 at 1:35am Eastern Time, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the commencement of Operation Epic Fury at the president’s direction. Fifty-five minutes later, Trump posted an eight-minute video detailing major combat operations. Later that evening, according to Truth Social records, Trump posted that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead. Two weeks into the conflict, on March 14, Trump declared that the US had destroyed 100 percent of Iran’s military capability.
Did you know? During the six-month period analyzed by Al Jazeera, Trump posted on Truth Social an average of 24 times a day, with one in every 13 posts mentioning Iran. His own name appeared 221 times—more frequently than the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear weapons, and Israel combined.
The Strait of Hormuz Blockade and Public Negotiations
The strategic Strait of Hormuz dominated the conflict’s middle months through a sustained naval blockade. Following a brief ceasefire brokered in April after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir intervened, Trump announced a naval blockade on April 12. According to his posts, the US Navy would block any and all ships trying to enter or leave the strait, a measure he nicknamed “A WALL OF STEEL.”
By May, the conflict shifted into public negotiations. Trump announced Project Freedom on May 3 to escort uninvolved ships, though he paused it three days later following regional requests. On June 14, Trump declared the agreement with Iran complete. However, the deal frayed quickly; after Iranian drones targeted cargo carriers, US aircraft struck missile stores and coastal radar on June 28 for violating the ceasefire agreement.
Political Fallout and Repercussions in Israel
While the US and Israel launched the conflict jointly, Israel appeared in fewer than one in 10 of Trump’s Iran-related posts, being mentioned just 32 times, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named only twice. According to a passage in the source articles, the resulting US-brokered deal proved to be a political disaster for Netanyahu, whose life’s mission of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons appeared to slip away.
In a recent column, Amit Segal, senior political correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12, admitted that Israel erred by focusing on regime change in Iran rather than dismantling its nuclear program. Segal noted that while Netanyahu anticipated the ceasefire, the manner of its execution felt “as a shock” because Trump had excluded Israel from the peace discussions. Public opinion in Israel shifted dramatically: Trump’s favorability rating plummeted from plus twenty-three to negative sixteen in an Israel Hayom snap poll, marking a fifty-point decline among Netanyahu’s supporters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many posts did Donald Trump publish about Iran on Truth Social?
According to Al Jazeera’s analysis, Trump published at least 319 posts mentioning Iran between February 28 and August 25, which translates to roughly one post every 14 hours.
What triggered the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz?
After a temporary April ceasefire collapsed amid renewed maritime attacks, Trump instituted a naval blockade on April 12, declaring that the US Navy would restrict all ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
How did the conflict impact US-Israel relations according to reports?
According to a passage in the source articles, the US-led ceasefire and exclusion of Israel from peace talks caused a severe political crisis for Benjamin Netanyahu, leading to a sharp drop in Trump’s popularity among Israeli voters.
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