U.S. and Iranian officials reported new developments in their efforts to reach a potential agreement to end weeks of escalating tensions on Friday, but negotiators remain deadlocked over critical issues including tolls for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that while there was “slight progress” in discussions, the parties were not close to a resolution as negotiations stalled over Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and the proposed implementation of a new shipping system in the strategic waterway.
Rubio also strongly opposed Iran’s reported plan to impose tolls on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, declaring such a system “not acceptable” and warning that no country should accept it. He emphasized the potential for a dangerous international precedent, stating, “If that were to happen in the Straits of Hormuz, it will happen in five other places around the world.”
The latest diplomatic efforts follow weeks of tumultuous negotiations where the Trump administration repeatedly signaled a breakthrough was imminent before talks collapsed over disputes related to sanctions relief, military deployments, nuclear restrictions, and regional security guarantees.
President Donald Trump has alternated between threatening expanded military action and insisting that a negotiated settlement remains possible. Administration officials have privately and publicly debated how much uranium Iran could retain and whether Tehran would maintain influence over shipping through the strait.
Iran’s most recent proposal still includes demands for sanctions relief, compensation tied to the conflict, recognition of certain uranium enrichment rights, and revised control measures involving the Strait of Hormuz—conditions that U.S. officials have consistently resisted.
The renewed diplomatic push coincides with Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir traveling to Tehran this week as a key mediator in an effort to secure at least a temporary framework agreement between Washington and Tehran. Munir has emerged as a central intermediary during the conflict, attempting to broker a ceasefire and extend negotiations for another month.
Munir’s trip marks his third major round of diplomacy with Iran, coming as Pakistan, Qatar, and Gulf states intensify efforts to prevent the conflict from escalating into a broader regional war.
Qatar also dispatched additional mediators to Tehran this week, signaling that negotiations may be entering a more serious phase after repeated collapses over the same disputes involving sanctions, shipping access, and uranium stockpiles.
One major unresolved issue remains Iran’s highly enriched uranium, which U.S. officials believe could eventually support weapons development while Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
Another key dispute centers on Iran’s effort to establish what Rubio termed a “tolling system” in the Strait of Hormuz that would allow Tehran to regulate and profit from commercial maritime traffic through one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below normal levels despite limited reopening efforts. Global markets are closely monitoring negotiations amid fears that renewed disruptions could trigger another spike in oil prices and inflation.
Regional allies, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, have privately urged the Trump administration to continue negotiations and avoid a broader military escalation.
Despite recent optimistic statements from officials on Friday, all sides cautioned that earlier rounds of negotiations also appeared close to success before abruptly collapsing over the same core disputes now dominating talks again.
