US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the United States launched strikes on Iran over the weekend to act before Tehran could respond to an expected Israeli attack.
Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill that the US acted pre-emptively to reduce potential casualties. “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that would precipitate an attack against American forces. And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them, before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” he said.
Pre-emptive rationale
Speaking before briefing the Gang of Eight – congressional leaders and intelligence committee heads – Rubio defended the US-Israel airstrikes as necessary. He cited Iran’s missile capabilities and potential plans to target American bases and regional allies as justifying the action.
“We knew if Iran was attacked, and we believed it would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us. We were not going to sit there and absorb a blow before we responded,” he said, describing the strikes as “proactive in a defensive way” to prevent higher losses.
Targeted objectives and warnings
Rubio outlined the US aim as destroying Iran’s missile capability and reducing threats posed by its navy to global shipping. He warned that the next phase of US military operations would be harsher. “I’m not going to give away the details of our tactical efforts, but the hardest hits are yet to come,” he said. “How long will it take? I don’t know. We have objectives. We will do this as long as it takes.”
Israeli involvement
Israel launched its own operation, called “Operation Lion’s Roar,” early Saturday, declaring a national state of emergency. Reports indicate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged President Donald Trump to strike decisively to prevent renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran from derailing military plans.
The strikes came amid ongoing talks mediated by Oman, with a Geneva round concluding on Thursday.
Contested intelligence
Media reports suggest that, according to Pentagon officials, there was no confirmed intelligence that Iran planned to strike US forces first. The pre-emptive rationale has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about escalation and the lack of clear evidence for an imminent Iranian attack.
Also read: Trump says Iran war could last “four weeks or less”
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