Inside the Iranian missile attack (2021) | 60 Minutes Archive

CBS News
March 28, 2026
3 min read

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Iran launched a ballistic missile attack against U.S. military positions in January 2021 in retaliation for the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani.

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In January 2021, Iran launched a ballistic missile attack against U.S. military positions in retaliation for the Trump administration's 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported on the strike for the "60 Minutes" archive, detailing the Iranian response to one of the most significant U.S. military actions in the Middle East in recent years. The attack marked a direct escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions that had spiked following Soleimani's assassination and represented Iran's most direct military strike against American forces. The missile strike underscored the fragility of the U.S.-Iran relationship and the risks of further military confrontation in the region.

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