U.S., Iran signal peace progress — but remain at odds over enriched uranium, Strait of Hormuz tolls

Key points

• An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored on May 16, 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran.
• The U.S. and Iran have signaled progress in talks to end the war, but the combatants remain at loggerheads over Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile and tolls on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said there were "good signs" that an agreement to end the conflict is in sight, but warned any such deal would be "unfeasible" if Iran pursues measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
• "No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system.
• It can't happen [and] it would be unacceptable," Rubio told reporters in Miami, Florida.