# War in Iran hits stalemate as prices soar > Six months into conflict, the U.S. and Iran show no signs of ending hostilities despite Trump's repeated claims of imminent deals, while energy costs spike and humanitarian crises spread across the region. - Title: War in Iran hits stalemate as prices soar · CBS News - Summary: Six months into conflict, the U.S. and Iran show no signs of ending hostilities despite Trump's repeated claims of imminent deals, while energy costs spike… - Keywords: iran war, united states, trump administration, strait of hormuz, oil prices, yemen houthis, saudi arabia, war crimes allegations, nuclear program, middle east conflict, energy crisis, sanctions - Source: CBS News — https://cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-un-war-crimes-iran-deal - Published: 2026-09-22T12:10:42+00:00 - Read time: 4 min - Topics: iran war, united states, trump administration, strait of hormuz, oil prices, yemen houthis, saudi arabia, war crimes allegations, nuclear program, middle east conflict, energy crisis, sanctions ## U.N. panel finds war crimes evidence Human rights experts commissioned by the United Nations say they found reasonable grounds to believe the U.S. committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran that killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children. > reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks ## School strike killed mostly children A U.S. missile hit a primary school in Minab on February 28, killing at least 168 people, most of them children. The U.S. likely hit it in error using outdated intelligence that misidentified the area as a military installation. ## Second strike used tungsten pellets The other incident involved precision strike missiles that dispersed tungsten pellets over a clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area in the southern city of Lamerd on February 28. ## Trump claims Iran wants a deal President Trump again insisted Wednesday that Iran wants to make a deal to end the six-and-a-half-month war. He told a rally in North Carolina, "Hopefully we're toward the end of the war." > Hopefully we're toward the end of the war. They want to make a deal. ## Iran denies any peace interest Iranian officials have consistently denied interest in a peace agreement until the U.S. accepts their conditions, which focus on returning to a June memorandum of understanding that the U.S. violated by maintaining its naval blockade. ## Oil pipeline damage slows recovery Crude oil prices dropped for a second day Thursday after U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said a damaged Saudi pipeline should be running again relatively soon. The pipeline was hit by drones last week. ## Gas prices hit record highs Gasoline jumped 7 cents overnight to 4 dollars and 44 cents a gallon, up nearly 50 percent since the war started in February. Diesel hit a record 6 dollars and 40 cents, up 77 cents since early September. > Consumers should plan on higher prices for longer ## Farmers question war's value Matt Bell, a North Carolina farmer who voted for Trump, now says the administration has made miscalculations in the war. Soaring prices for fuel, fertilizer and equipment are hurting his farm and others. > I think we've been misled ## U.S. blockade redirects 104 vessels The U.S. blockade on commercial ships entering or exiting Iranian ports has redirected 104 vessels, according to U.S. Central Command. Trump touted the blockade, saying not one ship to Iran has gotten through. > Not one ship going to Iran has gotten through that blockade ## Iran downs two U.S. drones Iranian forces brought down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft in recent days, according to U.S. officials. The location and variant of the drones remain unclear. ## Houthis seize Yemeni coast Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized control of the entire Red Sea coast and are pushing toward the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Over 100,000 people were displaced in Yemen in just the first two weeks of September. ## Houthis deny Mecca attack Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of launching a drone attack on Mecca, Islam's holiest city. The Houthis immediately denied the claim, and Iran backed them up, suggesting it was a false flag operation. ## Saudi Arabia gets 48 F-35 jets The U.S. is selling Saudi Arabia 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets for 24 point 3 billion dollars to strengthen its homeland defense and improve interoperability with U.S. forces. ## Iran sanctions crypto platform The U.S. Treasury sanctioned cryptocurrency venture Bitbank as part of Operation Economic Outcast, calling it a key component of Iran's attempts to evade sanctions and acquire funding. ## Russia and China veto sanctions monitoring Russia and China vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have authorized experts to monitor sanctions reimposed on Iran over its nuclear program. The sanctions freeze Iranian assets and halt arms deals. ## Iran's vice president apologizes for hardship Iran's Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref apologized to Iranians over soaring costs of living, acknowledging that household incomes no longer keep pace with expenses. He called inflation a serious problem with no quick fixes. > We really apologize to the people ## Strait closure tied to Trump and Netanyahu A senior Iranian adviser said Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are removed from power. > Our fighters will not open the Strait of Hormuz until they bring the criminal Trump and the bloodthirsty Netanyahu down ## U.S. open to U.N. talks with Iran Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is open to meeting with Iranian officials at the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week, though nothing is scheduled. Trump said he would probably be willing to meet Iran's president. > We're open to that ## South Korea refuses troop deployment South Korea's president said the country will not deploy troops to intervene in the Iran war, despite reports it was weighing a possible deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. Seoul will only protect its own merchant ships. > There will be no involvement or intervention in the war ## Iranians in U.S. deeply divided The 750,000-strong Iranian-American community is split over the war. Some who oppose it are accused of supporting the regime, while others who support it face ostracism. Family relationships and lifelong friendships have been strained or broken. > Family relationships have been strained or broken ## Key takeaway The Iran war remains deadlocked with no peace talks despite Trump's optimism, leaving Americans facing record fuel prices and the Middle East destabilized by proxy conflicts in Yemen and Lebanon.