Trump threatens Oman again over Hormuz

So take a look at where we are now. It's been 172 days since the war began, and the costs are adding up. 18 US service members have been killed in the conflict, and in July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war cost the US more than $37 billion. But what's key is sources tell CBS News the price tag could actually be much higher. The Pentagon also asked Congress for supplemental funding, you'll remember. And the fate of a Gaza peace plan, it remains unclear this morning after President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, left the Middle East without a major breakthrough. He held marathon meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, and he met with Hamas over the weekend in Egypt. We've got team coverage on all of this for you this morning. Courtney Kealy is here with me in studio to break down the situation in Iran and in Gaza. But first, let's speak with CBS News White House Reporter Aaron Navarro, joining us from our DC bureau. Aaron, good morning. Iran and the US seem to be at a standstill again this morning. Has there been any significant movement in talks? Errol, good morning. At this moment, there does not seem to be. The president also said yesterday, though, that he is on no timeline, no hurry to make a deal with Iran. And this comes after the memorandum of understanding between the two countries expired on Monday after it hit its 60-day window. Now, yesterday, both the president as well as his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been involved in these talks in the Middle East, did confirm that there have been backchannel communications with the US and Iran's Revolutionary Guard, skipping past the mediating countries as well as Iran's political officials. Kushner gave an interview to Fox News after his meeting with Netanyahu yesterday. Take a listen. If Iran is willing to finish the deal that they've been discussing with us to give up their ability to create a nuclear weapon, then, obviously, he's willing to make a deal that could be great for the Iranian people, and it's something he would be open to. But right now, they're not showing any interest in doing something that makes sense for us. Now, Kushner did not give too many details on what exactly is wrong with the deal that Iran seems to be entertaining. He only pointed to the US need for Iran to commit to never build a nuclear weapon, as well as not fund other militant terrorist groups in the region. We know that Iran has tied the lifting of US sanctions, the unfreezing of assets to the reopening of the Strait, but we also know those are red lines for President Trump and this White House if Iran does not agree to never build a nuclear weapon.

All right, in the same place we were so many days before. Aaron, thank you very much. We're joined now by CBS News Middle East Contributor Courtney Kealy with more analysis on all of this. Courtney, good morning. Help us understand the perspective at this moment from Tehran. I mean, last week they were saying the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for the rest of Donald Trump's presidency, period. Is there any hint, though, behind the scenes, they may actually be willing to come to some kind of resolution? It's interesting. When I was looking at when we were talking about Oman, I thought, hey, what has Oman ever done to the US for such language from the president? And, really, the focus, as you said, should remain on Tehran. And there's this new structure in the name of Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader, whether he's calling the shots or not out loud or not. We haven't-- no audio, no video continues. But he put in six key leaders across the military and including the Basij within the last eight days or so. And one of them, Major General Ahmad Vahidi, is really important, and he's the one that the US is saying they might have indirect talks with. He said, I support the negotiators. He's not talking to them without the negotiators talking to the US. That's something Jared Kushner did mention the other day, that the US does have channels, but that's not really an established channel. What they all are is they're all in lockstep in the religious zealotry and how they want to keep this regime, this revolutionary zeal going, especially with the Basij and how they oppress the Iranian people. So as Iran really holds steady, holds firm, and consolidates around its own kind of power structure, you have Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, a key advisor, swooping through the Middle East, meeting with Hamas officials in Egypt and now Benjamin Netanyahu for many hours yesterday but walking away without anything. What is possible there, even considering the factions that would need to be on the same page? Well, it's really interesting because Jared Kushner did a lot, but the person who didn't really get anything necessarily is Benjamin Netanyahu. No photo op, no shaking of hands with the US, and the son of a longtime friend. So, actually, Jared Kushner going to Egypt and meeting with Hamas as a devout Jewish person and someone who believes in the homeland of Israel is stunning. Now, Hamas, a spokesman today, Hazem Qasim, said Hamas is committed to this agreement upon-- but so far-- upon the processes, but so far, Israel hasn't given clear approval of what happens next. So you saw Jared Kushner with the president of Israel, more of a symbolic kind of photo op. And then what you've also had is you've had this rhetoric coming out of the right-wing cabinet, and you have this siege of the West Bank, Qusra, that even the US ambassador, who's actually prosettlements, has called Jewish terrorists. So many things going on with different factions, both Iran and Israel and the Palestinians, but Jared Kushner has woven his way through this, and we'll see. Hamas seems to be on board. Netanyahu hasn't said anything about it yet. So much more complicated than just the US versus Iran, as you explained so well. Courtney Kealy, thank you for being with us this Tuesday.