The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said Washington is expecting a response from Iran to its proposals for an interim deal to end the conflict in the Middle East, as Iran accused the US of breaching the increasingly fragile ceasefire announced last month.
In recent days there have been the biggest flare-ups in and around the contested strait of Hormuz since the informal truce began. The rise in violence followed Donald Trump’s announcement – then rapid pause – of a new naval mission aimed at opening the strategic waterway.
But diplomatic efforts continue despite the clashes, with mediators Pakistan passing a brief memorandum to Iran that the US has said could act as a basis for a more solid ceasefire and allow new talks.
During a visit to Rome, Rubio said: “We’re expecting a response from them today at some point … I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do … The hope is it’s something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday evening, Trump said he expected a response from Iran soon. “I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight,” he said.
Iran says US repeatedly opts for ‘reckless military adventure’
There have been wild swings from hope to despair in recent days as the US and Iran test each other’s resilience and will, seeking leverage in any talks through belligerent rhetoric, defiance and sporadic violence.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, accused the US of breaking the ceasefire, posting on X on Friday: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure.”
Araghchi also boasted that Iran’s ballistic missile stocks and launcher capacity had not only been repaired and restocked during the pause in hostilities, but expanded.
What are the hazards facing Trump on Xi summit tightrope?
If all goes to plan, Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit the summit with Xi Jinping.
The trip will mark the first time a US president has visited China in nine years; the last visit was also made by Trump, during his first term in 2017. Back then, Beijing pulled out all the stops. But now the mood has shifted and Trump will enter the talks from a more vulnerable position.
CDC finally responds to hantavirus outbreak. But experts say it’s too little, too late
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed it is sending a team to Spain’s Canary Islands, where the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius is expected to arrive on Sunday, and US passengers will be evacuated to an airbase in Nebraska.
However, experts say the US is unprepared for such a disease threat.
With Trump’s low approval rating, can Democrats take the Senate?
Across the country, evidence is building that the coalition that elected Trump to a second nonconsecutive term as president in 2024 is coming apart. Polls show his approval rating falling, while Democrats have won several major off-year and special elections since he took office.
But even with these results and the Iran war weighing Trump’s party down, Democrats face a challenge turning the upper chamber blue.
No-bid contract to turn DC’s reflecting pool blue goes to firm with ties to Trump
Donald Trump’s latest beautification plan for Washington DC – the restoration of the 2,000ft-long reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial – has met been with claims that a $6.9m contract to carry out the project was hastily handed out to a company that renovated a swimming pool at the president’s Virginia golf course.
The New York Times reported that the no-bid contract for the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was given to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, based in New Canton, Virginia, on 3 April – despite company records’ showing it has not previously been awarded a federal contract.
The parent company of Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform – one of the president’s preferred communications channels – lost nearly $406m in the first three months of the year while generating a little over $870,000 in revenue, according to financial filings.
The Trump Media and Technology Group’s quarterly report for January to March 2026 showed that while net sales were up 6% year over year, the company took sizable losses related to other investments.
What else happened today:
Catching up? Here’s what happened on Friday 8 May 2026.