An Iranian flag flies in the air as ships remain anchored on May 16, 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran.
Majid Saeedi Getty Images News | Getty Images
The US and Iran have signaled progress in talks to end the war, but the warring parties are still at odds over Tehran’s enrichment of uranium and tolls on the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said there are “good signs” that an agreement to end the conflict is close, but warned any such agreement “will not happen” if Iran follows through on measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“There is no one in the world who supports the road toll system, it will not happen [and] It’s unacceptable,” Rubio told reporters in Miami, Florida.
“If we can’t get a good deal, the president has been clear that he has other options,” Rubio said, without elaborating.
It comes shortly after Iran said a recent proposal from the US brought the two warring sides closer to a peace deal. The Islamic Republic is currently in the process of reviewing the views of the American side, with a continuous exchange of messages based on Iran’s first 14-point framework from a few weeks ago.
The latest proposal sent by the US “reduced the vacancies to a certain extent,” according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), which reportedly said that “further reductions require an end to the military temptation from Washington.”
Payment system for the Strait of Hormuz
Talks to end the Iran war have shown little progress in recent weeks, with both sides deadlocked on a ceasefire deal, with Tehran blocking the Strait of Hormuz and Washington blocking Iranian ports.
Asked about the reported talks between Iran and Oman, a US ally, about the possibility of the two countries cooperating in creating a payment system to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump rejected this move. Trump said his administration has “total control” of the waterway.
“We want it to be open. We want it to be free. We don’t want a paid one. It’s international. It’s an international way,” the president told reporters on Thursday.
The ship remains anchored on May 16, 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Negotiations between the US and Iran regarding the opening of this important waterway have stalled as the countries have rejected each other’s proposals to end the war that began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
Majid Saeedi Getty Images News | Getty Images
Located in the gap between Oman and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is known as one of the world’s most important oil bottlenecks.
Normally, about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas liquids pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping has been almost at a standstill since the US-led and Israeli-led strikes against Iran began in Feb. 28.
A stock of enriched uranium
The US president also promised to restore Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
The issue has been a major stumbling block throughout the talks, with Washington forcing Tehran to release its enriched uranium, fearing it could be used for a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied any such calls and says its stockpile is for peaceful purposes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has issued an order that the country’s weapons-grade uranium should not be exported, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing Iranian sources.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media on Friday that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group “maintains high readiness” in the Arabian Sea “while enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports.”
Pakistani army chief Asim Munir traveled to the Iranian capital on Thursday as part of ongoing mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
