US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press at the US Embassy in Rome on May 8, 2026.
Stefano Relandini | AFP | getty images
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the US expects a response from Iran on Friday on its proposal to end the war.
“We should know something today… We’re expecting a response from them,” Rubio told reporters Friday when asked about the status of negotiations with Iran while meeting with the Pope in Rome, Italy.
“We’ll see what the reaction is. Hopefully it’s something that can put us in a serious process of negotiation.”
Iran said on Thursday it was reviewing US messages received through Pakistani intermediaries, but it has not yet reached any conclusions or responded, according to Iranian state media, citing an Iranian official.
Axios and other news outlets reported earlier this week that the countries were getting closer to a 14-point memorandum of understanding to end the war and restart talks around Iran’s nuclear program.
Rubio’s comments come amid confusion over whether a ceasefire between Iran and the US is still in effect after both accused the other of launching attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that the ceasefire was still in effect, calling the strikes “just a love-filled hoax.” Trump also said that the Iranians “very much wanted to make a deal.”
“We saw a report overnight that Iran has established, or is trying to establish, some agency that will control traffic in the strait. That would be (a) problem. That would be really unacceptable,” Rubio said Friday.
The blockade of the narrow waterway, which normally carries about a fifth of global oil supplies, has dealt a blow to global energy. The International Energy Agency has called the situation “the greatest energy security threat in history.”
— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report.