The U.S. military launched limited, defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, three U.S. officials told CBS News. A senior U.S. official said the strikes targeted Iran’s Qeshm Island after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at an American aircraft.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the strikes Monday, which came on the eve of Election Day in the U.S., as President Trump floats restarting hostilities with Iran after the midterms and as the U.S. and Qatari mediators broker talks on a U.S.-Iran deal.
Qeshm Island, in the northern Strait of Hormuz, is crucial to the Iranian regime’s efforts to monitor and exert control over commercial traffic through the waterway.
Omar Zaghloul/Anadolu via Getty Images 
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday that Tehran retained “the right to legitimate self-defense” after the new U.S. strikes, and would do so “until the military aggression has been completely and permanently brought to an end.”
Iran has retaliated for attacks on its territory throughout the war sparked by joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 by targeting commercial shipping traffic in the strait and U.S. allies and interests across the Persian Gulf region.
As the war enters its ninth month, Mr. Trump’s rhetoric has continued to swing back and forth between suggesting he could strike a deal to end the war with Iran, to warning that he could resume major attacks against the country.
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 Monday night, however, in an appearance on Fox News, Mr. Trump said “we still have to take care of” 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 the call had taken place, saying he had a “very good talk with” the Israeli leader, but he did not elaborate on what he and Netanyahu discussed.
The war has loomed large over both the U.S. midterm and Israeli parliamentary elections. In the U.S., rising costs stemming from threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have led to cratering support for Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.
In Israel, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc lost its majority in the first parliamentary elections since Oct. 7, 2023.
As of mid-October, the Iran war had cost U.S. taxpayers at least $47.1 billion in military expenditure alone, according to a new estimate from U.S. Central Command obtained by CBS News.
CENTCOM said the cost of replacing spent munitions alone was about $29 billion, according to the latest estimate, which was provided to lawmakers. Another $6.1 billion was needed to replace lost equipment, and there has been around $11.9 billion spent on incremental costs including support for American service members.
The estimate does not include the cost of damage to U.S. military bases in the Middle East, many of which have been targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.
