On May 21 (US time), according to CNBC, the US and Iran both sent positive signals about the possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict, but negotiations are still facing many obstacles related to Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "positive signs" have emerged showing that the two sides are moving closer to a peace agreement.
However, he warned that any agreement is unlikely to be reached if Iran continues to pursue its plan to control maritime activities in the Strait of Hormuz or apply a fee mechanism to ships passing through this area.
No one in the world supports tolls through the Strait of Hormuz. That cannot happen and will not be accepted," Mr. Rubio told reporters in Florida.
The US diplomat also emphasized that if the negotiations do not yield the desired results, US President Donald Trump still has other options, although he did not elaborate.
On the Iranian side, the country's media said that the latest proposal from Washington has helped narrow a part of the gap between the two sides. ISNA news agency quoted sources as saying that Tehran is considering the US response based on the 14-point negotiation framework that Iran previously put forward.
One of the biggest controversial points today is Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. Washington wants Tehran to abandon this amount of uranium due to concerns that it could be used to develop nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Iran affirms that its nuclear program only serves peaceful purposes.
According to sources, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has directed not to bring enriched uranium at a level close to weapons level out of Iranian territory.
Meanwhile, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to be a matter of particular concern. This is the world's most important energy transport route, where about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas regularly pass through.
Transportation activities in this area have decreased sharply since the US and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran on February 28.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group is maintaining high readiness in the Arabian Sea to implement the blockade of Iranian ports.
