Timeline of Iran war from strikes that killed Ayatollah Khamenei to deal that capped day of frenzied negotiations
The White House revived diplomacy efforts with Iran in February to solve the long-running dispute over its uranium enrichment capabilities, with the West fearing the country could develop a nuclear weapon and Iran insisting its program was peaceful.The negotiations came against a backdrop of deadly nationwide protests over the country’s collapsing economy and its corrupt regime that began in late December, with President Trump telling protestors “help is on the way” as he built up US forces in the Middle East, raising fears of a military strike. The two countries first met on Feb.6 in Muscat, Oman, for mediated talks. While Iranian officials claimed talks were a “good start,” but at home dismissed the prospect of diplomacy in their Friday prayers sermons, lambasting the negotiations as just part of “America’s political game” – a message that came from then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iran insisted touching its ballistic missile program was an absolute no go, and on Feb.
17, Khamenei publicly rejected the negotiation conditions set out by Trump in an address to his people. On Feb.20, Trump gave Iran a 10-day deadline to reach a deal, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated a “historic” agreement with the US to avert military conflict was “within reach,” ahead of renewed talks in Geneva on Feb.
26.But Iran rejected a proposal that called for a civilian nuclear program with US investment, in exchange for dismantling its own, according to the White House, and on Feb.27 President Trump admitted he was “not happy” with the Geneva negotiations.The next morning, the first US and Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his Tehran compound and launched the war, with the Islamic Republic threatening there was “no red line” after the cleric’s death and all US targets in the Middle East were fair game.Close to a dozen nations had to close their airspaces, with retaliatory Iranian strikes hitti...