Iran is expected to respond on Friday to a 15-point draft proposal submitted by the United States for a potential peace agreement, according to sources familiar with the consultations who spoke to CBS News. Contacts between the two sides are continuing through intermediaries, as the absence of formal diplomatic relations prevents direct negotiations.

The same sources said US President Donald Trump and senior White House officials have been informed that Iran’s counterproposal could be delivered later in the day via mediator channels.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday that Washington had conveyed the draft proposal to Tehran through Pakistan, which is acting as an intermediary. A regional source told CBS News that Pakistan maintains direct communication with the core of Iran’s security establishment, which holds effective authority in the country, rather than solely with the Foreign Ministry.

Senior advisers involved in talks

Trump has also indicated that a team of senior advisers is participating in the negotiations, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President J.D. Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Rubio said on Thursday that “mediating countries” are facilitating the exchange of messages between the two sides, adding that “some tangible progress has been made.” He also pointed to increased activity in the Strait of Hormuz as a possible sign of positive developments.

In an earlier statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the United States will not negotiate through the media. As President Trump and his team explore this diplomatic option, Operation Epic Fury continues without interruption to achieve the military objectives set by the Commander-in-Chief and the Pentagon.”

Iran maintains a diplomatic presence in the United States through its mission to the United Nations in New York, but it has declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.