Trump Says Iran Wants a Settlement as U.S. Strikes Near Hormuz and Talks Stall Before Midterms

On Monday evening, with American voters a day from casting midterm ballots, U.S. forces struck Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple U.S. officials told CBS News the strikes were limited and defensive. One senior military official said they were aimed at Qeshm Island in southern Iran, in response to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps firing on a U.S. aircraft. The Wall Street Journal reported the strikes first.

They came in the middle of a diplomatic push. The war, now eight months old, began in late February with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Qatar has led three consecutive days of indirect, closed-door negotiations between Washington and Tehran, and no breakthrough has been apparent. Iran said Monday that "the ball is in the U.S. court." Iranian officials also described "intensive" exchanges and offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions.

President Trump wrote on Truth Social that a deal "could happen" and that "Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible." Vice President JD Vance said he and Trump were both optimistic. "We've certainly made some progress. We'll see if we can make some more," he told reporters. Axios reported that Vance had sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's national security chief, about possible new talks, the highest-level move from the administration in months.

Two regional officials told the Associated Press that Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks last week and are working on a framework. Under it, Iran would stop its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. would lift its blockade of Iran's ports. More talks are planned this week. The officials spoke anonymously because they were describing classified briefings.

Markets reacted. Oil, driven up by Iran's blockade of the strait, fell more than 7% on Monday. Brent crude dropped 7.4% to $105.03 a barrel. Brent has swung between roughly $70 and $120 since just before the war began, and it reverses quickly. Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management, said the administration's signals "may be tactical" ahead of the midterms. She noted that attacks on Hormuz shipping continue and that her firm still expects higher-for-longer energy prices. UKMTO reported that another vessel was hit Sunday by an unknown projectile about nine nautical miles off Lima, Oman. It left a hole in the starboard side, and the captain reported all crew safe.

Trump spoke about Iran several times in his last scheduled remarks before the election. "I don't know if you even call it a war because we haven't been doing any fighting for months," he said, adding that he hoped voters remember, in the booth, that he had to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Pressure is also coming from another direction. Two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter told AP that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for a new wave of strikes after Tuesday's election. Axios had reported that Netanyahu urged Trump to strike during a weekend call, while Trump preferred to let negotiations play out. One official said Netanyahu is working with senior U.S. officials to win support for a quick but extensive air campaign, and that Trump does not appear to have decided. Other regional allies warn that more strikes would destabilize the region and could push the Houthis in Yemen to escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping, and could draw in Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The White House did not directly answer questions about the call, and Israel did not immediately comment.

Iran's own messaging is defiant. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said, per state media, that the messages arriving through intermediaries amount to an acknowledgment of Iran's "victory." Rezaei spoke with Vladimir Putin on Monday about "strategic cooperation," according to Tasnim.

In Yemen, Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said Saudi warplanes launched 109 airstrikes in 24 hours, bringing the total to 3,939 since fighting escalated this fall. He also claimed Houthi drones hit Dammam Airport and a radar in Jizan. Saudi officials did not confirm or deny the claims.

In Tehran, cafes stay crowded. Mitra Alipour, 28, celebrating her birthday at one, told AFP that everything has become more expensive since the war began. She can no longer travel or afford a new phone, but can still afford a coffee. The next round of Qatari-led talks, and Trump's decision after the election, will show whether this ends in a settlement or a return to war.