Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against growing questions over differing public explanations about why the US joined Israeli strikes on Iran, media reports said Tuesday. US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that it was his opinion that Iran was preparing to strike US interests in the region and that he 'might' have forced Israel's hand to launch strikes last Saturday morning, according to The Hill.
According to Anadolu Agency, that appeared to contrast with Rubio's remarks a day earlier, when he said the US 'knew there was going to be an Israeli action' and chose to join from an offensive position rather than wait to respond defensively. The White House rejected suggestions of any contradiction, and Rubio sought to clarify his position during a briefing on Capitol Hill.
Rubio addressed the matter directly during a press conference, stating, 'Let me answer because this is my press conference.' He clarified that the decision to participate in the strikes was not solely based on Israel's actions. 'I was asked very specifically . did we go in because of Israel? I said no, this had to happen anyway,' he emphasized.
His previous remarks highlighted the strategic choice to engage preemptively, 'We knew there was going to be an Israeli action . and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.' This decision has been met with scrutiny from various quarters, including Senator Angus King, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats. King questioned the delegation of war-related decisions to another country, 'Have we now delegated the most solemn decision that can be made in our society, the decision to go to war, to another country?'
Critics have also faulted President Trump for not making a public case for the military action against Iran and for bypassing congressional approval, as the US Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. Addressing concerns about evacuation plans for travelers stranded due to restricted airspace and airport closures, Rubio mentioned ongoing efforts, 'That's the plan we're trying to carry out,' while acknowledging the challenges posed by airspace closures.
The State Department announced it was exploring options like chartered flights and military evacuations. Since Saturday, joint US-Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Tehran has launched drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported that the death toll from US and Israeli airstrikes since Saturday has risen to 555.