U.S. strikes Iranian targets on eve of midterm elections
The U.S. military has launched limited defensive strikes at Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, three U.S. officials confirmed to 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 on the strikes on Monday.
The strikes came on the eve of Election Day, 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.
As the war enters its ninth month, Mr. Trump's rhetoric has continued to swing back and forth between striking a deal and launching sustained strikes against Iran again.
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 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.
The war has loomed large over both the U.S. midterm and Israeli parliamentary elections. In the U.S., rising costs stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have led to cratering support for Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.
In Israel, Netanyahu's party lost its majority in the first parliamentary elections since Oct. 7, 2023. But, according to The Associated Press, a return to war could enable Netanyahu to form an emergency government.
As of mid-October, the Iran war had cost the U.S. military at least $47.1 billion, 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 like 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.
