Map of the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding Gulf waters. Photo: Persian Gulf Strait Authority
US President Donald Trump on Thursday, May 21, warned that Washington would not allow Iran to retain its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and stalled negotiations between Tehran and Washington intensified.
Speaking at the White House and later at Joint Base Andrews, Trump said the United States remained committed to diplomacy but warned military action remained an option if Iran failed to meet US demands.
“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 said, referring to Iran’s uranium reserves.
Trump also rejected any move to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an international waterway that must remain open.
“We want it free, we don’t want tolls. It’s an international waterway,” he said.
The US president further claimed Washington had “total control” over the strait through naval operations and alleged Iran was suffering economic losses of nearly USD 500 million per day.
He added that diplomacy could collapse quickly if Tehran failed to provide the “right answers”.
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that a Reuters report claiming Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had ordered Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium not to be sent abroad was incorrect.
The official described the report as “propaganda by the enemies of the deal” and insisted Tehran’s position had not changed, saying Iran would carry out any downblending process itself.
Fox News also quoted a source directly involved in the negotiations as dismissing the Reuters report.
Reuters had earlier cited two senior Iranian sources as saying Iran’s leadership opposed transferring enriched uranium abroad because it could leave the country vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel.
Pakistan intensified diplomatic efforts on Thursday to accelerate indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Sources familiar with the talks told Reuters that Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir was considering a visit to Tehran as mediation efforts gathered pace.
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran to discuss developments in the talks.
One source said Pakistan was engaging with “all the various groups in Iran” to help speed up communication between both sides.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were “some good signs” for a possible agreement but stressed that Washington still had “other options” if negotiations failed.
A fragile ceasefire has remained in place since April following fighting triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Iranian officials reportedly suspect the pause in hostilities could be a tactical move before possible fresh attacks.
Iran’s top peace negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said “obvious and hidden moves by the enemy” indicated the United States was preparing for new strikes.
Trump meanwhile repeated that Washington was ready to proceed with further attacks if talks collapsed.
Iran has formally launched the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a new body tasked with overseeing operations linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials said the authority’s supervision area stretches from Kuh Mobarak in Iran to waters south of Fujairah in the UAE and westward towards Umm Al Quwain.
The authority said vessels transiting the strait would require coordination and permits within the designated management zone.
Iranian ambassador to France Mohammad Amin-Nejad said Tehran was discussing a possible toll system for maritime traffic through the strait in coordination with Oman.
Rubio warned that any Iranian move to impose tolls would make a diplomatic agreement impossible.
The US Central Command said its forces had redirected 94 commercial vessels and disabled four while enforcing restrictions around Iranian ports.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said 31 commercial ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz during the past 24 hours.
Social media monitoring reports also pointed to increased AIS spoofing northwest of Dubai, with dozens of vessels reportedly appearing clustered at the same position.
India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said all Indian seafarers in West Asia remained safe despite the ongoing tensions.
Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal said more than 3,300 Indian seafarers had been repatriated, including 99 in the past 72 hours.
He added that 13 Indian-flagged vessels and one Indian-owned vessel remained stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices rose on Thursday amid fears of further disruption to global energy supplies.
Brent crude climbed towards USD 107 a barrel after developments linked to Iran’s uranium policy, while US West Texas Intermediate also moved higher.
Fatih Birol warned that tightening supplies and reduced exports from West Asia could push oil markets into the “red zone” during July and August.
The head of ADNOC also warned that full oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz may not return before 2027 even if the conflict ended immediately.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict with Chinese President Xi Jinping during talks in China, the Kremlin said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had shared an idea involving the transportation and storage of Iranian enriched uranium in Russia.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later said the Iran crisis could only be resolved through diplomatic channels that considered Iranian interests.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed support for strengthening the country’s armed forces during a meeting with Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Amir Hatami.
“National unity and the authority of the armed forces are the most important backing for the country’s security,” Pezeshkian said, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.
CNN reported, citing US intelligence assessments, that Iran had resumed part of its drone production and was rebuilding military capabilities faster than expected during the ceasefire.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks said Iran’s near-total internet blackout had entered its 83rd day, with international networks largely inaccessible for more than 1,968 hours.
Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that 20 Iranian sailors detained aboard a vessel seized by the United States had returned to Tehran from Islamabad.
The report said their release followed consultations involving Iranian, Pakistani and Singaporean officials.
Mourners gathered in the southern Lebanese town of Deir Qanoun En-Nahr on Thursday to bury victims of an Israeli airstrike that killed 14 people earlier this week.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the victims included four children and three women.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks had killed at least 3,089 people and wounded 9,397 since March 2, according to Al Jazeera
.At least four Iranian footballers and one member of their entourage visited the US embassy in Ankara on Thursday to apply for visas ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The squad is currently holding a training camp in Turkey before the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This post was last modified on May 21, 2026 11:35 pm