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- In six months of war with Iran, President Trump’s pronouncements have varied from boasts of victory to threats of bombing Iran into the Stone Age.
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pronouncements → click → Age
- Trump said the current Iranian leadership was more ‘reasonable’ than predecessors, but later called them ‘deranged scumbags.’
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leadership → say → them
- When once asked how long the U.S. and Israel could sustain its offensive in Iran, he replied, ‘It won’t be difficult.’
uncertain
It → ask → Iran
WASHINGTON — For the last six months, President Trump has attempted to control the narrative of the Iran war.
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Trump → attempt → war
As days, weeks and months passed, he repeatedly said that an agreement to end the conflict was close at hand and that Iran was already defeated.
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Iran → pass → hand
Between fraught negotiations, Trump has gone from conciliatory to antagonistic, characterizing Iran’s new leadership as more “rational” than their predecessors, only to later call them “sick individuals.”
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Trump → go → them
There have even been times the commander in chief contradicted himself and his own Cabinet in the same week — and sometimes, the same day.
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commander → contradict → week
Friday marks the sixth month of the war launched by the U.S. and Israel.
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Friday → mark → U.S.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency puts the death toll in Iran at 3,636.
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Agency → put → 3,636
In Lebanon, officials, say more than 4,300 have died.
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4,300 → say → Lebanon
The Israeli military reported 72 deaths, and at least 50 civilians have died, according to news reports.
uncertain
civilians → report → reports
Here is a recap of notable comments Trump made in public remarks and on social media during half a year of war:
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Trump → make → war
What he said: “The United States military has undertaken a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.”
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military → say → America
In announcing the start of Operation Epic Fury from the White House, Trump called Iran the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror and recalled actions by Iran or its proxies, such as the hostage crisis of 1979 and the bombing of a Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983 that left 241 dead.
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that → announce → 241
The goals of the operation, Trump said, were to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions, its naval capabilities and missile industry and to ensure that Iranian proxies — including Hezbollah and Hamas — were thwarted.
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proxies → say → Hezbollah
He implored Iranian citizens to rise up against the government.
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He → implore → government
What happened: That morning the U.S. and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as other key military and government figures.
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U.S. → happen → Khamenei
According to Iran’s Red Crescent, 24 of Iran’s 32 provinces were hit in the first day of bombings, with more than 200 deaths and 700 injuries reported.
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deaths → accord → bombings
Iranian officials said that at least 120 students and 26 teachers died in a missile strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab.
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students → say → Minab
Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Israel and U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates.
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Iran → retaliate → Arabia
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also warned ships to not travel through the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for 20% of the world’s oil and energy supplies.
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Corps → warn → supplies
What he said: “We grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.
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they → say → lives
Trump announced that at least three service members were killed in an Iranian attack, the first U.S. casualties in the war.
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members → announce → war
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump was asked how long the U.S. and Israel could sustain its offensive in Iran.
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U.S. → ask → Iran
“It won’t be difficult,” he replied.
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he → reply → ?
“We have tremendous amounts of ammunition.
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We → have → ammunition
You know, we have ammunition stored all over the world in different countries.”
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we → know → countries
What happened: An Iranian one-way drone attack was launched against the industrial Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, where American soldiers set up an operations center after abandoning the larger Camp Arifjan military installation.
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soldiers → happen → installation
What he said: “We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.”
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we → say → that
At a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, Trump assessed the progress of the attacks on Iran, saying the U.S. was “already substantially ahead of our time projections.”
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U.S. → assess → projections
What happened: The conflict expanded, with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon launching drones against Israel.
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conflict → happen → Israel
Israel’s counter-strike would ultimately decapitate Hezbollah leadership, but strikes between the two forces would continue through the first week of war.
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strikes → decapitate → war
U.S. Central Command increased the number of U.S. troop deaths in the Kuwait strike to six from three.
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Command → increase → three
What he said: “The war itself is going unbelievably.
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war → say → What
It’s as good as it can be.”
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it → ’ → ?
He said that the U.S. “wiped out” the Iranian navy, air force, drone manufacturing capabilities and “every form of leadership you can have,” adding that he was interested in being a part of the selection of Iran’s new leader.
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he → say → leader
He also said that he believed the strike on the Minab school was a misdirected missile launched by Iran.
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strike → say → Iran
He offered no evidence.
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He → offer → evidence
What happened: Iranian drone and missile strikes on gulf neighbors continued.
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strikes → happen → neighbors
The day after Trump said Iranians had no existing leadership prospects, Mojtaba Khamenei, one of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s sons, would become the new supreme leader.
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Khamenei → say → sons
…and 80 more, not listed.
The Aporia
