Live Updates: Trump vows to hit Iran hard after U.S., Tehran exchange strikes for the first time in weeks

Updated on: August 31, 2026 / 5:11 PM EDT / CBS News

President Trump called the Iran conflict "a relatively little war" for the U.S. as he weighed additional strikes on the country.

CBS News' Weijia Jiang asked Mr. Trump in the Oval Office about a Washington Post report that several U.S. military leaders are concerned about a prolonged operation in the Middle East weakening Washington's ability to confront threats elsewhere.

Mr. Trump disputed the concerns. "This is a relatively little war for us. This is not a big war," the president said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump is considering carrying out new strikes on Iran following hostilities over the weekend.

"They're a failed nation," Mr. Trump said of Iran. He later added, "That doesn't mean we won't smack them. We'll see what happens."

Family members of U.S. soldiers in one Army division who were deployed to the Middle East earlier this year have been told the deployments will last into 2027, according to a letter obtained by CBS News that was confirmed by two U.S. officials.

The Sunday-dated letter from the leaders of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, said that the deployments are expected to…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/healthwatch/