When President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran last summer, he and his administration repeatedly declared that the attacks had obliterated the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear program and set back its ability to make a nuclear weapon for years.

In the immediate runup to Saturday’s strikes with Israel on Iran, however, Trump and members of his administration began issuing more urgent warnings about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It was among the shifting — and often openly contradictory — messages sent on Iran.

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.