Skip to content 
The US military has launched limited defensive strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, three US officials confirmed to CBS News.
A senior US official said the strikes targeted Iran’s Qeshm Island after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down an American plane.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the strike on Monday.
The strikes came on the eve of Election Day, as President Trump vows to resume hostilities with Iran after the midterms and as U.S. and Qatari mediators broker talks on a U.S.-Iran deal.
As the war enters its ninth month, Mr. Trump’s rhetoric has continued to swing back and forth between striking a deal and relaunching sustained strikes against Iran.
In a Truth Social post earlier Monday, the president said a deal “could happen” and that “Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible.” Later that night, in an appearance on Fox News, Mr. Trump said “we still have to deal with several sites in Iran,” including Pickaxe Mountain, which houses a suspected nuclear site. During his appearance on Sean Hannity’s program, Mr Trump said it was “not a big deal” and could be done in “an hour”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a weekend call with Mr. Trump, pushed for further sustained strikes against Iran, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Trump acknowledged that the call took place, saying he had a “very good conversation with him,” but did not elaborate on what he and Netanyahu discussed.
The war loomed large over both the US midterms and the Israeli parliamentary elections. In the United States, rising costs resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have led to cratering in support for Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.
In Israel, Netanyahu’s party lost its majority in the first parliamentary elections since October 7, 2023.
As of mid-October, the Iran war had cost the US military at least $47.1 billion, according to a new estimate from US Central Command obtained by CBS News.
CENTCOM said the cost of replacing spent munitions alone was about $29 billion, according to the latest estimate provided to lawmakers. Another $6.1 billion was needed to replace lost equipment, and about $11.9 billion was spent on incremental costs such as support for American service members.
The estimate does not include the cost of damage to US military bases in the Middle East, many of which have been targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.
