An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships anchor in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran, May 16, 2026.
Majid Saeedi Getty Images News | getty images
The US and Iran have indicated progress in talks to end the war, but the fighters are still at loggerheads over Tehran. enriched uranium reserves and tolls on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday Said There were “good signs” that an agreement to end the conflict was in sight, but warned that any such agreement would be “unviable” if Iran took measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Nobody in the world is in favor of a toll system. It can’t happen (and) it would be unacceptable,” Rubio told reporters in Miami, Florida.
“If we can’t get a good deal, the president has made clear he has other options,” Rubio said, without elaborating.
This comes soon after Iran said the latest US proposal brought the two warring sides closer to a peace deal. The Islamic Republic is currently in the process of reviewing the US side’s views, with an exchange of messages based on Iran’s original 14-point framework dating back several weeks.
According to the semi-official Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA), the latest proposal presented by the US has “narrowed the gap to some extent”, reportedly adding that “further reductions require Washington to eliminate the temptation of war.”
Strait of Hormuz Payment System
Talks to end the Iran war have made little progress in recent weeks, with the two sides deadlocked An uneasy truce, as Tehran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz and Washington has blockaded Iranian ports.
asked about informed Discussions between Iran and US ally Oman regarding the possibility of cooperation between the two countries in the creation of a payment system to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump rejected the initiative. Trump said his administration has “complete control” of the waterway.
“We want it open. We want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s international. It’s an international waterway,” the president told reporters Thursday.
A ship remains anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran, on May 16, 2026. Talks between the US and Iran on opening the vital waterway have largely stalled as the countries have rejected each other’s proposals to end the war that began after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
Majid Saeedi Getty Images News | getty images
Located in the Gulf between Oman and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints.
Typically, about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping traffic has ground to a near halt since the US and Israel-led strikes against Iran began on February 28.
enriched uranium reserves
The US President has also promised to recover Iran’s enriched uranium reserves.
The issue has been a major sticking point during the talks, with Washington pressuring Tehran to give up its enriched uranium over fears it could be destined for a nuclear weapon. Iran has resisted any such calls and says its stockpiles are for peaceful purposes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a directive that weapons-grade uranium in the country should not be shipped abroad, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing Iranian sources.
US Army Central Command (CENTCOM) Said The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group was “maintaining extreme readiness” in the Arabian Sea while enforcing a blockade against Iranian ports, it said via social media on Friday.
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir visited the Iranian capital on Thursday as part of ongoing mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, according to Iranian news agency ISNA.