Timeline of how Trump administration got into a showdown with Iran

Rising tensions between the US and Iran have sparked fears of a military confrontation and potentially an all-out war.

Democrats, including a number of candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination, have warned that President Donald Trump and his National Security Adviser John Bolton are “inching” toward conflict.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration rejects the notion that they are seeking a war and Iranian leaders have made similar assertions. But many lawmakers and experts in the US are still concerned.

Here’s a timeline of the evolving situation, and a summary of what both countries have been saying.