The U.S. military carried out limited strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, three U.S. officials told CBS News. The officials described the strikes as defensive.
A senior U.S. official said the strikes hit Iran's Qeshm Island after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at an American aircraft. The Wall Street Journal first reported the strikes, which came the day before the U.S. midterm elections.
Qeshm Island, in the northern part of the strait, is important to Iran's efforts to monitor and exert control over commercial traffic through the waterway, CBS News reported.
Iran responds
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday that Tehran retained "the right to legitimate self-defense" after the new strikes. He said Iran would exercise it "until the military aggression has been completely and permanently brought to an end."
Iran has retaliated for attacks on its territory throughout the war, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, by targeting commercial shipping in the strait and U.S. allies and interests across the Persian Gulf region.
Mixed signals from Washington
President Donald Trump has floated restarting hostilities with Iran after the midterms while U.S. and Qatari mediators broker talks on a possible deal. In a Truth Social post earlier Monday, he said a deal "could happen" and that "Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible."
Later Monday, Trump said on Fox News that "we still have to take care of" several sites in Iran, including Pickaxe Mountain, which houses a suspected nuclear site. He called it "not a big deal" and said it could be done in "an hour."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for further sustained strikes on Iran in a weekend call with Trump, according to The Associated Press. Trump acknowledged the call and said he had a "very good talk with" Netanyahu, but did not say what they discussed.
Costs and politics
As of mid-October, the war had cost U.S. taxpayers at least $47.1 billion in military spending alone, according to a U.S. Central Command estimate obtained by CBS News. CENTCOM put the cost of replacing spent munitions at about $29 billion, replacing lost equipment at $6.1 billion, and incremental costs, including support for service members, at around $11.9 billion. The estimate does not include damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East, many of which Iranian drones and missiles have targeted.
CBS News reported that rising costs tied to threats to shipping in the strait have driven down support for Trump and the Republican Party. In Israel, Netanyahu's right-wing bloc lost its majority in the first parliamentary elections since Oct. 7, 2023.
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