ROME, May 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday while visiting Rome that Iran was expected to respond later in the day to a proposal put forward by Washington, according to Italy's ANSA news agency.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio waves as he boards a US government aircraft after concluding his two-day visit to Italy and the Vatican, at Ciampino airport in Rome, Friday, May 8, 2026. (File photo: AP)

"We'll see what happens, there will be a development in the next few hours. Iran is fragmented, but I really hope for a serious proposal from them," Rubio told a press briefing at the U.S. embassy in Rome.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday the country had not yet reached a conclusion on the U.S. peace proposal and has not responded to Washington.

In an interview with the official news agency IRNA, he noted that Iran was still reviewing the messages exchanged via Pakistani mediation.