Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have launched a sweeping strike on Iran following months of attempted, and seemingly failed, nuclear negotiations between the Trump administration and Tehran, but according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the U.S. was not involved in the strikes.
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” Rubio said in a statement Thursday night. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.
“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,” he added.
In remarks following the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed, “We targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb, we also struck the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.
“Our fight is not with the people of Iran, our fight is with the Iran’s dictatorship,” he added.