U.S. and Iran at odds over uranium enrichment, Strait of Hormuz tolls
The Iranian flag waves in the wind as ships remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran’s Larak Island on May 16, 2026.
Majid Saeedi | Getty Images News | Getty Images
US and Iran signal progress in talks to end war, but fighters remain at odds over Tehran enriched uranium stock and attacking the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday in question There were “good signs” that a deal to end the conflict was on the horizon, but he warned that such a deal “will not be feasible” if Iran takes measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“No one in the world is in favor of a pricing system. This can’t happen [and] this is 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.
This came shortly after Iran said the latest US offer 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 an ongoing exchange of messages based on Iran’s original 14-point framework from several weeks ago.
According to the semi-official Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA), the latest US offer has “narrowed the gaps to some extent” and reportedly “for further reductions, Washington’s war-mongering must end.”
Strait of Hormuz payment system
Talks to end the Iran war have made little progress in recent weeks; both sides are locked in a dispute. Uneasy ceasefire as Tehran closes the Strait of Hormuz and Washington blocks Iranian ports.
Asked about reported Following talks between Iran and US ally Oman about the potential for the two countries to cooperate in establishing a payment system to control traffic in 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.
On May 16, 2026, a ship remained anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Negotiations between the United States and Iran on opening this critical waterway have largely stalled as the countries reject each other’s proposals to end the war that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
Majid Saeedi | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The Strait of Hormuz, located in the gulf between Oman and Iran, is considered one of the most important oil transit points in the world.
Typically, about 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping traffic has virtually stopped since U.S.- and Israeli-led attacks on Iran began on February 28.
Enriched uranium stockpile
The US president also promised to take back Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
The issue has been a major obstacle throughout the negotiations; Washington has been pressuring Tehran to hand over its enriched uranium, fearing it could be used as a nuclear weapon. Iran has resisted such calls and said its stockpiles were for peaceful purposes.
According to Reuters, based on Iranian sources, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued an instruction that uranium close to weapons grade in the country should not be sent abroad.
US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) in question It reported via social media on Friday that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group was “maintaining the highest level of readiness” in the Arabian Sea while “enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports.”
Pakistani Chief of General Staff Asim Munir arrived in the Iranian capital on Thursday as part of ongoing mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
