The United States carried out what officials called limited defensive strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening, even as mediators from Qatar and Pakistan kept working on a deal to end the eight-month war. The strikes came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on a U.S. aircraft, a senior U.S. military official told CBS News. The same official said the strikes were aimed at Qeshm Island in southern Iran.
The developments leave the region at a crossroads: talks that have run for days without a breakthrough on one side, and growing reports of preparations for a new round of fighting on the other.
What happened
According to CBS News, multiple U.S. officials confirmed the Monday strikes, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. CBS reported no specific Iranian military response to the Qeshm strikes as of early Tuesday.
At the same time, Qatar-led indirect, closed-door talks, with Pakistan also helping, ran for three straight days without an apparent breakthrough, CBS reported. Al Jazeera reported that Qatari officials had also traveled to Tehran, and that Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has visited the Iranian capital several times.
President Donald Trump wrote Monday that a deal with Tehran could happen and said Iran wants a settlement as soon as possible. Vice President JD Vance said some progress had been made. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations were proceeding intensively, but added that the outcome depends on Washington.
Everything depends on Washington’s political rationality.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as reported by CBS News
What is on the table
Reporting describes a rough outline still being negotiated. According to an AP account cited by CBS, mediators have proposed that Iran stop attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran has offered to shorten the time needed to carry out a deal from seven days to two, CBS reported. Its conditions, according to CBS and Al Jazeera, include:
- Releasing frozen Iranian assets and lifting sanctions and the naval blockade
- Ending fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon and Gaza
- Reducing the U.S. military presence in the region and recognizing shipping routes set by Iran and Oman, according to Al Jazeera
In return, CBS reported, Iran would reopen the strait and discuss its nuclear program. Tehran says its program is civilian, while President Trump insists Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, Al Jazeera noted. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said talks have not stopped, that no timeframe is known, and that the president has not decided on new strikes.
Danger at sea
The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about a fifth of the world’s crude oil, and shipping there has been under attack for months. The UK Maritime Trade Operations center, a British maritime security agency, reported a record 30 attacks on commercial vessels in October, according to CBS.
On Sunday, a vessel in the strait was hit by an unidentified projectile, Arab News reported, citing the UK agency, which said that “another vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy, through state media, said two oil tankers exploded after hitting mines on an “unauthorized route.” Independent evidence for Iran’s claims was not included in the reports.
An India-flagged vessel was struck off Oman, and one Indian crew member was killed while 13 were rescued, CBS reported. A Qatari gas carrier was also attacked on Friday, though no crew were hurt, according to Arab News. The head of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, said the main transit routes remain clear; Iran disputes that.
Background
The war began on Feb. 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, according to CBS. A memorandum of understanding reached in June, which Qatar and Pakistan helped broker, collapsed in August, Al Jazeera reported. Since then, Iran has targeted ships it says need its permission to pass, and the U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports.
Several outlets report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing for a new air campaign after the U.S. midterm elections, while President Trump has so far preferred negotiations. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has warned that any renewed attack would bring an immediate response, according to Al Jazeera and Just Security’s daily news summary.
What to watch next
- Whether more talks planned for this week produce a written agreement
- Whether Monday’s strikes near Qeshm Island lead to further exchanges of fire
- Shipping safety reports from the UK maritime agency and any change to the U.S. blockade
- Oil prices: Brent crude fell about 7.4% Monday to roughly $105 a barrel on hopes of a deal, CBS reported
Why it matters for families
Even far from the Persian Gulf, this conflict reaches kitchen tables. Oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz affects fuel and energy costs around the world, and prices have swung widely since the war began. The story is also a human one: sailors from many countries work these waters, and some have lost their lives. Families looking for a way to talk with children about the news can focus on the people working for peace, and on the hope that patient talks can prevent more harm.
Sources: CBS News, “Live Updates: U.S. launches defensive strikes on Iranian targets as Trump says ‘Iran wants a settlement’” (November 3, 2026); Al Jazeera, “Mediators continue US-Iran negotiations amid war rhetoric: What we know” (November 1, 2026); Arab News, “UK agency reports vessel strike in Hormuz; Iran’s Guards say tankers hit mines” (November 1, 2026); Just Security, “Early Edition: November 2, 2026” (November 2, 2026).
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