U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Hit Wall Over Uranium and Hormuz Tolls
CNBC reported Friday that the U.S. and Iran have both suggested momentum in ceasefire negotiations, yet deep divisions persist over two flashpoint issues. Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile and a proposed tolling regime on the Strait of Hormuz are threatening to derail any agreement.
Rubio Draws a Hard Line on Hormuz
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed reporters in Miami on Thursday. He described emerging “good signs” that a deal could be within reach. But he added that any arrangement would become unworkable if Iran moved to levy charges on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio stated flatly that a tolling system has zero international support and would be unacceptable to Washington. He also left open the possibility of further U.S. action, noting that President Trump retains other options if talks collapse.
President Donald Trump echoed that position separately. He told reporters his administration holds effective control over the waterway and wants it kept open and free for all international traffic.
Iran Reviews the Latest U.S. Proposal
Iran’s semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency indicated Thursday that the most recent American submission has narrowed the distance between the two sides. Tehran is working through its response using a 14-point framework it presented weeks earlier. The agency added, however, that further concessions from Iran would require Washington to pull back from what it called a posture favoring war.
The conflict began when U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iran on February 28. Since then, Iran has blocked commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports. Both sides have held an uneasy ceasefire, but substantive progress has been limited.
Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters
The strait sits between Oman and the Iranian coastline. Under normal conditions, roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas passes through it each day. That flow has effectively stopped since late February, tightening energy markets worldwide.
Reports had emerged that Iran and Oman, a U.S. partner in the region, were exploring a joint mechanism to manage vessel traffic and collect passage fees. Trump rejected that framework outright.
The Uranium Question Remains Unresolved
Enriched uranium is the second major sticking point. Washington wants Tehran to surrender its stockpile, arguing the material could be redirected toward a nuclear weapon. Iran insists the uranium serves civilian energy purposes only.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a directive this week barring the transfer of near-weapons-grade uranium out of the country, according to Reuters. The U.S. military’s CENTCOM confirmed its USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group remains at peak readiness in the Arabian Sea, continuing to enforce the port blockade.
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