On May 16, 2026, an Iranian flag flutters in the breeze as ships remain at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran.
Photograph by Majid Saeedi | Getty Images News
Recent discussions between the U.S. and Iran have shown signs of progress toward ending the ongoing conflict, though significant disagreements persist. Key sticking points include Tehran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and the imposition of tolls on the vital shipping passage of the Strait of Hormuz.
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism, stating there are “good signs” of reaching a peace agreement. However, he cautioned that any accord would be “unfeasible” if Iran insists on controlling shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
“A tolling system is unacceptable to the international community. It simply cannot happen,” Rubio stated during a press briefing in Miami.
He further noted, “If we can’t secure a favorable deal, the president has made it clear that other options are on the table,” though he did not specify what those options might be.
It comes shortly after Iran said the latest proposal from the U.S. had 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.
The latest proposal submitted by the U.S. “has narrowed the gaps to some extent,” according to the semiofficial Iranian Students’ News Agency, or ISNA, which reportedly said that “further reductions require an end to the temptation for war from Washington.”
Strait of Hormuz payment system
Talks to bring an end to the Iran war have shown little progress in recent weeks, with both sides locked in an uneasy ceasefire, as Tehran blocks the Strait of Hormuz and Washington blockades Iranian ports.
Asked about reported discussions between Iran and Oman, a U.S. ally, regarding the potential for the two countries to collaborate in building a payment system to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the initiative. Trump said his administration had “total 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 on Thursday.
A ship remains anchored on May 16, 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over opening this critical waterway have largely stalled as the countries have rejected each other’s proposals to end the war that began when the U.S. 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 recognized as one of the world’s most important oil choke points.
Typically, roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping traffic has virtually halted since U.S. and Israeli-led strikes against Iran started on Feb. 28.
Enriched uranium stockpile
The U.S. president has also pledged to recover Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
The issue has been a major stumbling block throughout negotiations, with Washington pushing for Tehran to give away its enriched uranium, fearing it may be destined for a nuclear weapon. Iran has resisted any such calls and says its stockpile is intended for peaceful purposes.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a directive that near-weapons-grade uranium in the country should not be sent abroad, Reuters reported Thursday, citing Iranian sources.
The U.S. military’s Central Command, or CENTCOM, said via social media on Friday that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group was “maintaining peak readiness” in the Arabian Sea “while enforcing the blockade against Iranian ports.”
Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir traveled to Iran’s capital on Thursday as part of ongoing mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
