Minor progress made on deal with Iran: US Secretary of State

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that there has been some minor progress towards a potential deal with Iran, which is a good thing, however, this progress should not be exaggerated. Speaking during a meeting in Sweden, the US Secretary of State clarified that despite this minor progress, the US's fundamental stance remains in place and Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances. He emphasized that the US must discuss the serious issue of Iran's highly enriched uranium at all costs.

Marco Rubio shed light on a new and important point in the negotiations, saying that Iran's proposed toll system in the Strait of Hormuz will not be acceptable to any country. He revealed that Iran is trying to create a toll system for commercial ships passing through the strait and is also trying to persuade Oman to join the system. The US Secretary of State deemed the Iranian move as utterly against international laws and unacceptable, saying that the Strait of Hormuz should always remain an open and free maritime route for global trade, and any kind of Iranian control will not be tolerated.

A special report by Al Jazeera claimed that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have tightened control over the critical waterway, and the movement of ships without Iranian permission has almost come to a halt. Before the war, where 120 to 140 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily, including tankers carrying around 20 million barrels of oil, now only ships that have obtained special permission from Iran can pass through.