U.S. forces struck Iran on Tuesday, the second series of attacks in three days. Meanwhile, lawmakers reacted to the resignation of U.S.
Page A8From§Eachthe midnight edition — 2 September 2026
Trump previews 'the biggest attack of them all' on Iran as strikes over Hormuz mines continue.
As it ran on the front
Let's be clear: the strikes on Iran's mine-laying operations in the Strait of Hormuz were a measured, proportional response, exactly the kind of steady hand the region has been asking for since — well, since the administration said it wanted mines cleared and then said the actual target was the mines and also possibly the regime and also — no. Mines. Just mines. The Strait matters because most of the world's oil moves through it, ships go through it, that's the point.
President Trump was very clear this week that the 'biggest attack of them all' is 'waiting in the wings,' which — and I want to be precise here — is a statement about strategic patience, not escalation. It's not a trailer for a bigger war. It is absolutely, definitionally, not a preview coming soon to a strait near you. Did I say 'coming soon'? Strike that. It's deterrence, which works by promising exactly the kind of attack you'd promise if you were marketing one.…
…(cont) A decorated Marine veteran weighed in this week in support of the strategy, and that matters, because when a veteran endorses a war plan, that settles the public debate the way it always has, which is to say it doesn't, but we like to say it does.
Meanwhile lawmakers reacted to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's resignation with the kind of tit-for-tat statements you'd expect during tit-for-tat strikes, which is a coincidence of timing and absolutely not a signal that the civilian leadership overseeing this operation is coming apart at the departure gate. It is a coincidence. It is definitely — actually, you know, I don't have the full personnel picture in front of me, let me get back to you on that one.
The point is: mines were struck, strikes continue, a bigger one is teased, and the man who ran the Army just left. None of that is connected. All of it happened in the same eleven days, and the department stands by every part of that sentence, separately.
“Every 'biggest attack' tease is marketing for a war that's already running, and the guy who kept warning the White House about the Defense Secretary just walked out mid-cycle. Lawmakers reacting to a resignation and reacting to a strike look identical because they're the same story now. Watch the mines, but watch the exits too.”
“This is measured deterrence, not escalation — the phrase 'biggest attack of them all' is about signaling resolve, not describing a plan, and any resignation at the Pentagon this week is a personnel matter, fully unrelated to strike timing. Fully unrelated. Probably.”
The receipts
President Trump launched new attacks against Iran Tuesday for allegedly trying to install sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump warned that the worse is still to come if Iran retaliates.
Iranian officials said the strikes caused significant damage, including killing four people and injuring several dozens at a wedding. Iran said it retaliated by firing on U.S. bases in the region.
CBS News contributor Elliot Ackerman, a Marine Corps veteran, breaks down President Trump's military strategy as the U.S. launches new strikes over Iran's alleged interference with the passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.