Trump readies strikes amid Iran talks

President Donald Trump’s administration was preparing for possible new strikes on Iran even as indirect talks with Tehran showed limited progress on Saturday, according to U.S. media reports and public comments from senior officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiators had seen “a little bit of movement,” but he made clear the main disputes were still over Iran’s highly enriched uranium and over any attempt by Iran to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials, meanwhile, signaled that Tehran had narrowed some gaps with Washington while hardening its position on one of the core U.S. demands — sending near-weapons-grade uranium out of the country. ### What exactly is still blocking a deal? Marco Rubio said this week that “the issue of highly enriched uranium” and “future enrichment” are among the “core pillars” of any agreement with Iran, along with reopening the strait. In separate remarks, Rubio said a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz would be “not acceptable” and warned Washington would not accept a precedent in which ships had to coordinate with Iran or pay to pass through the waterway. (cbsnews.com) The Strait of Hormuz has become central because the Trump administration has paired nuclear demands with a broader push on shipping access. The State Department said earlier this month that the United States and Gulf partners had drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution requiring Iran to cease attacks, mining and tolling in the strait. (state.gov) ### Why is uranium custody such a hard line? Reuters, cited by other outlets on Friday, reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had directed that Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad. That order cuts directly against one of Washington’s main conditions for a deal and narrows the room for compromise in the current talks. (state.gov) The U.S. position has been consistent across official statements. The White House and State Department have repeatedly said Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, and State Department releases this year have referred to requirements that Iran suspend enrichment-related activity under U.N. resolutions. (newsnationnow.com) ### Where do the strike reports fit into the diplomacy? CBS News reported on Friday that the United States was preparing for possible strikes against Iran, though no final decision had been reached as of that afternoon. The Independent also reported on Saturday that the Trump administration was preparing for a fresh round of military strikes while talks continued. (whitehouse.gov) Trump’s own public posture has remained coercive. The White House has described its Iran campaign this year as “Operation Epic Fury,” and in official releases has said Trump deployed military force while pressing Tehran to accept a broader settlement. ### Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter so much in these talks? (cbsnews.com) The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, and the current dispute is not only about military access but also commercial passage. Rubio said multiple countries had asked the United States to help restore freedom of navigation after sailors died and ships were disrupted, and he framed the issue as one that extends beyond the Iran file itself. (whitehouse.gov) Reuters reported on May 2 that Iran had floated a proposal that would reopen shipping in the strait and end the U.S. blockade of Iran while leaving nuclear talks for later, but Trump rejected that sequencing, according to a senior Iranian official cited in the report. That earlier rejection helps explain why the two issues are now being negotiated together. (state.gov) ### What happens next? Saturday’s public positions suggested the talks were still alive but confined to a narrow space. Rubio said there had been some movement, while U.S. media reports said military options were still being readied and no final strike decision had been announced. The next test will be whether indirect contacts can produce terms on uranium disposition and shipping access that both sides can accept. (usnews.com) Any formal shift is likely to surface first through White House or State Department statements, or through movement on the U.S.-backed U.N. Security Council resolution on the Strait of Hormuz. (state.gov) (cbsnews.com)