US strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as Trump weighs deal, threatens further strikes

Just hours before Election Day, the U.S. launched new airstrikes on Iran. American officials say the strikes were defensive, but they come as President Trump continues to talk about a possible deal with Tehran while threatening more military action. U.S. officials say the military struck targets on Iran's Qeshm Island Monday near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments. One official tells ABC News the strikes were in response to an to an Iranian attack on an American aircraft. Officials say this was a limited operation, not the start of a new major offensive. But it's not an isolated incident. The U.S. has carried out other limited strikes in recent weeks as Iran has stepped up attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait. And Monday night, Trump was still raising the possibility of a much bigger attack, this time on a suspected underground nuclear site known as Pickaxe Mountain. Now we might have to go after Pickaxe, but that's not a big deal. We can do it. And We can do that. Iran's Revolutionary Guard also claims it shot down two American reconnaissance drones over Qeshm Island, but a U.S. official disputes that claim. And while both sides continue talking about a possible diplomatic deal, American forces are still carrying out strikes inside Iran.