Pakistan intensifies diplomacy as US, Iran remain divided on uranium, Hormuz control

WASHINGTON/DUBAI: The United States and Iran remained divided on key issues including Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile and control over the Strait of Hormuz, despite both sides signalling limited progress in ongoing negotiations aimed at ending months of conflict.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed that Washington would eventually take control of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which the US says could be used to develop nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran denies.

“We will get it. We don’t need it, we don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been “some good signs” in talks with Tehran, though he warned that any Iranian attempt to impose tolls on ships using the Strait of Hormuz would make diplomacy difficult.

“There’s some good signs,” Rubio said. “I don’t want to be overly optimistic … So, let’s see what happens over the next few days.”

A senior Iranian source told Reuters that while no agreement had yet been reached, differences between the two sides had narrowed. However, Iran’s uranium enrichment programme and control over the Strait of Hormuz remained major sticking points.

Oil prices fluctuated sharply during Thursday’s trading session amid uncertainty over the prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough.

Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters before Trump’s remarks that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had directed that Iran’s uranium stockpile must not be sent abroad.

Trump also criticised Tehran’s plans to charge fees for ships using the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies passed before the conflict erupted.

“We want it open, we want it free. We don’t want tolls,” Trump said. “It’s an international waterway.”

Trump has repeatedly warned he is prepared to resume military strikes on Iran if negotiations fail to produce what he called the “right answers”.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, meanwhile, warned that any renewed attacks would trigger retaliation extending beyond the region.

While negotiations have shown little visible progress since a fragile ceasefire took effect six weeks ago, diplomatic efforts continued behind the scenes.

Three sources told Reuters that Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir was possibly travelling to Tehran on Thursday for further talks as part of mediation efforts.

“We’re speaking to all the various groups in Iran to streamline communication and so things pick up pace,” one source familiar with negotiations said. “Trump’s patience running thin is a concern, but we’re working on the pace at which messages are relayed from each side.”

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi also travelled to Tehran for the second time this week carrying a message from Washington, according to Iranian media reports.

Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency said Naqvi held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and other officials.

The continuing standoff has added pressure on the global economy, mainly through rising oil prices and fears of energy supply disruptions.

The International Energy Agency warned on Thursday that the conflict had triggered the world’s worst energy shock in years.

The agency said summer fuel demand combined with limited new Middle Eastern oil supplies could push global markets into the “red zone” in July and August.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly reduced. While some vessels are still passing through, only around 31 ships crossed the strait over the last 24 hours, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency, compared to 125 to 140 daily crossings before the war.

Iran has indicated it may reopen the waterway fully for countries it considers friendly and willing to comply with its conditions, potentially including payment of transit fees.

Rubio described the proposal as illegal and dangerous.

“It would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible if they were to continue to pursue that,” Rubio said. “So it’s a threat to the world if they were trying to do that, and it’s completely illegal.”

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said their military campaign aims to curb Iran’s support for regional militias, dismantle its nuclear programme and weaken its missile capabilities.

Despite months of conflict, Iran is still believed to retain its near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile as well as its missile, drone and proxy militia networks.