U.S. launches defensive strikes at Iranian targets
The U.S. military launched strikes at Iran after Iran fired at a U.S. aircraft, a senior U.S. official told CBS News.
Key points
- The U.S. military launched limited defensive strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Officials said the strikes followed an IRGC attack on an American aircraft.
- The Iran war had cost the U.S. military at least $47.1 billion as of mid-October.
The U.S. military has carried out limited defensive strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, three U.S. officials told CBS News. A senior U.S. official said the strikes hit Iran's Qeshm Island after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at an American aircraft. The Wall Street Journal first reported the strikes on Monday.
The action came on the eve of Election Day, as President Trump weighs restarting hostilities with Iran after the midterms while U.S. and Qatari mediators broker talks on a U.S.-Iran deal. The war is in its ninth month.
Trump's shifting signals
In a Truth Social post earlier Monday, Trump said a deal "could happen" and that Iran wants a settlement as soon as possible. Later that night on Fox News, he said the U.S. still has to take care of several sites in Iran, including Pickaxe Mountain, which houses a suspected nuclear site, calling it not a big deal that could be done in an hour.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for further sustained strikes against Iran in a weekend call with Trump, according to The Associated Press. Trump confirmed the call, saying he had a "very good talk with him," but did not elaborate.
Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible.
— President Trump
Costs and political fallout
As of mid-October, the Iran war had cost the U.S. military at least $47.1 billion, according to a U.S. Central Command estimate obtained by CBS News. CENTCOM said replacing spent munitions alone cost about $29 billion, with $6.1 billion needed for lost equipment and around $11.9 billion in incremental costs such as support for service members. The estimate excludes damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East, many targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.
The war has weighed on both the U.S. midterm and Israeli parliamentary elections. In the U.S., rising costs from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have led to cratering support for Trump and the Republican Party. In Israel, Netanyahu's party lost its majority in the first parliamentary elections since Oct. 7, 2023.
