US State Dept. says 'some progress' in Iran talks, but key issues remain

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the Trump administration is "waiting for a response" from ongoing talks with Iran, which are trying to find a mutually acceptable agreement to permanently end the war in the region.

Rubio told reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden, echoing remarks he made Thursday evening: "Some minor progress has been made. I don't want to overstate it, but there has been some movement, and that's a good thing."

He added: "The fundamentals remain the same," and continued: "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, this regime cannot have nuclear weapons. And to achieve that, we have to address the issue of uranium enrichment. We have to address the issue of highly enriched uranium."

In addition to this main point of contention, which has not yet been resolved, Rubio pointed to the issue of the Strait of Hormuz as another obstacle in the negotiations.

"Iran is trying to establish a toll system," Rubio said, referring to Tehran's attempts to assert control over the vital waterway in response to American-Israeli strikes on the country.

Rubio said: "I don't know anyone in the world who supports a toll system in an international waterway, that is absolutely unacceptable. That cannot happen."