The United States said there had been some progress in talks with Iran. But it kept up pressure, saying the issue of highly enriched uranium must be resolved to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the 22nd in Helsingborg, Sweden, after meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte about Iran, "We are waiting for word on the ongoing talks," adding, "There has been some progress."
Minister Rubio said, "I don't want to exaggerate, but there has been at least a bit of movement, and that is a good thing." He added, "Iran can never possess nuclear weapons," and, "To achieve that, we must resolve the issue of highly enriched uranium."
The United States sees Iran's stock of 60% enriched, highly enriched uranium as a key sticking point. Iran's highly enriched uranium is known to be about 440 kilograms. The United States considers it a "near-weapons-grade" material that can be rapidly converted into weapons-grade uranium.
Meanwhile, foreign reports said Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, banned the transfer of enriched uranium abroad. U.S. President Donald Trump a day earlier reiterated that the United States would secure Iran's highly enriched uranium.
Pressure also continued over the Strait of Hormuz issue. Minister Rubio, referring to Iran's push to levy tolls in the strait, said, "They are trying to persuade Oman to join them in collecting tolls in an international waterway," adding, "No country in the world should accept this."
Minister Rubio also repeatedly urged the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution calling on Iran to stop obstructing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The resolution, introduced by Bahrain at the U.S.'s lead, calls on Iran to cease attacks and threats against merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. It also includes a demand not to impose tolls on vessels transiting the strait.
Last month, the United States also sought the adoption of a similar Security Council resolution with Bahrain and others, but it was blocked by vetoes from China and Russia. Some provisions were revised afterward, and a new push is underway to pass the resolution.
Minister Rubio said, "Unfortunately, some member states of the Security Council are considering exercising their veto," adding, "We are doing our utmost to build the kind of global consensus needed to keep that from happening."