A U.S. military aircraft was reportedly fired upon by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, U.S. forces executed limited defensive strikes targeting Iranian assets on Qeshm Island. Three U.S. officials confirmed the strikes to CBS News. The island holds an underground missile site and a naval base. This action came just before voters head to the polls on Election Day.
President Trump described the ongoing conflict as a “very soft war” Monday. He cautioned that American forces possess the capability to hit additional Iranian objectives within sixty minutes. The president made these comments while defending military action against the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. He told Fox News host Sean Hannity that the U.S. could wipe out a key nuclear site quickly. “We had a war with Iran. We won,” Trump said at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to the Washington Examiner. He insisted the fighting was over and the U.S. held all the cards.
Oil Prices Drop as Talks Continue
Trump pointed to a sharp decline in oil prices as proof the situation was under control. He wrote on Truth Social that oil prices are “DROPPING LIKE A ROCK, down almost $10 a Barrel, A RECORD.” Crude oil closed around $96 per reports. This is a drop from the $120 price peak during the height of the conflict. Expectations that further fighting with Iran would be avoided were cited by the president as the cause of the drop. Vice President JD Vance reported progress in negotiations with regional mediators. “Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible. It could happen!” Trump wrote. Vance said the administration felt good about the prospects for a deal.
The financial toll of the conflict has become a political issue for Republicans. More than $47 billion in costs to taxpayers are estimated by the Pentagon for the war. Trump dismissed this staggering price tag as “peanuts.” He argued the military action was necessary to disarm Iran from building a nuclear weapon. “Their military is gone, their navy is gone, their air force is gone,” he said, according to the New York Post. He noted that Iran has very little capacity to build more missiles or drones. The administration has been keeping the campaign quiet to avoid signaling a return to major combat operations.
What Happens After the Vote
Trump said he was in no hurry to resume military strikes against Iran. He warned that the U.S. will give Iran “the hammer” soon if peace talks fail. The president told Hannity that the U.S. might have to go after Pickaxe Mountain. He said they could do it in literally one hour. “This isn’t like a war that’s going on, there’s no war raging,” he added. No specific deadline has been set for Tehran to reach an agreement. Vance stressed that Washington wants verifiable assurances that Iran will not rebuild its nuclear program.
The president reiterated that Iran is the number one state sponsor of terror anywhere in the world. He noted they have killed so many American soldiers over the last 50 years. “It was time for us to stop them,” Trump said on “Hannity.” The conflict began eight months ago and has caused economic fallout for Americans. Gas prices have surged while the Strait of Hormuz remains a vital oil artery. The president hopes people recognize the drop in oil prices when they go into the voting booth. “We have to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon,” he said. The next move depends entirely on whether the diplomatic efforts yield a result.
