Iran official says US deal to end war still distant due to 'excessive' demands

Iran and the United States are far from reaching a deal to end the war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday, despite heightened diplomatic efforts to prevent a potential return to active conflict after the US midterm elections.The US carried out "defensive" strikes on Iran's Qeshm island overnight, with a US official saying the strikes targeted surface-to-air missiles used against US assets. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards said they downed a US MQ-9 drone overnight in the skies over the east of the Strait of Hormuz."Mediators are working hard to narrow gaps between Tehran and Washington," the senior Iranian official said, after Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Monday night for talks on a version of the draft US-Iran deal that has been under negotiation for the past eight days.“Tehran's conditions must be met if the US wants Hormuz reopened,” the Iranian official cautioned, adding that nuclear talks could…