Rubio sees progress in Iran talks but warns more work needed

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that U.S.-Iran peace negotiations have made modest progress but warned significant obstacles remain, as Pakistan and Qatar stepped up mediation efforts in Tehran.

The talks aim to end a six-week-old conflict that has closed the Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flows — triggering a global energy crisis and increasing political pressure on Trump ahead of November midterm elections.

Rubio made the remarks after a meeting of NATO ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, according to Reuters. "There's been some progress. I wouldn't exaggerate it. I wouldn't diminish it. There's more work to be done. We're not there yet. I hope we get there," Rubio told reporters.

Pakistan and Qatar are pressing both sides toward a settlement. Pakistan's Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, and Pakistan's military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran alongside a Qatari delegation, Reuters reported.

Key sticking points include Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium and its demand to retain control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's latest proposal largely repeats terms Washington has previously rejected, including Strait control, war compensation, sanctions relief and the withdrawal of U.S. troops, according to Reuters.

Rubio warned that Iran's current posture carries risk. "We're dealing with a very difficult group of people, and if it doesn't change, then the president's been clear he has other options," he said.

Thousands have been killed in Iran and Lebanon since the conflict began with airstrikes on Feb. 28. Iran has retained near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and the capacity to threaten neighbors with missiles, drones and proxy militias, Reuters reported.

Trump faces mounting pressure over surging fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections, adding urgency to negotiations that have so far yielded little more than a fragile, six-week ceasefire.