US secretary of state Marco Rubio says Saturday’s strikes on Iran were a pre-emptive action; Benjamin Netanyahu says it will not be ‘an endless war’
US-Israel war on Iran – live updates
The United States attacked Iran after learning that ally Israel was going to strike, which would have meant retaliation against US forces, secretary of state Marco Rubio said. “We knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” Rubio told reporters. The justification for the attack differs from justifications given by Donald Trump and defence secretary Pete Hegseth.
Rubio also said the “hardest hits” are yet to come from the US military. “The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now,” he told reporters.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war against Iran may take “some time” but it will not take years. He told Fox News: “I said it could be quick and decisive. It may take some time, but it’s not going to take years. It’s not an endless war.”
