U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, May 8, 2026.
Stefano Lerandini | AFP | Getty Images
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US expected a response from Iran on Friday on proposals to end the war.
“We need to know something today. … We are expecting a response from them,” Rubio told reporters Friday in Rome, where he was visiting Pope Leo XIV, when asked about the status of negotiations with Iran.
“We will see what the response will be. We hope that it will lead us into a serious process of negotiation.”
Iranian state media, citing Iranian officials, said on Thursday that Iran was reviewing a message from the United States received through a Pakistani intermediary, but had not yet reached a conclusion or responded.
Axios and other media outlets reported earlier this week that the two countries were close to signing a 14-point memorandum of understanding to end the war and restart talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
Rubio’s comments came amid confusion over whether the ceasefire between Iran and the United States is still in effect, with Iran and the United States firing in the Strait of Hormuz and accusing the other of launching the attack.
President Donald Trump insisted on Thursday that the ceasefire was still in effect and called the attack “just a love tap.” President Trump also said that Iran “strongly desires a deal.”
“Overnight we saw reports that Iran has established or is about to establish some kind of agency to control traffic in the Strait, and that’s a problem. It’s actually not acceptable,” Rubio said Friday.
The blockage of this narrow waterway, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies, triggered a global energy shock. The International Energy Agency called the situation “the greatest energy security threat in history.”
—CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report.
