• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims Israeli plans prompted a preemptive strike on Iran.
• Rubio states the US acted to prevent higher casualties from Iranian retaliation.
• The strike was linked to recent Israeli military actions against Iran's leadership.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed that the recent attack against Iran was influenced by an impending Israeli military strike, necessitating a preemptive response from Washington. "We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces," Rubio stated, emphasizing the risks of waiting for a direct Iranian retaliation, which could lead to higher US casualties, according to aljazeera and lemonde.

In a statement to reporters, Rubio clarified the decisions made by US leadership and reinforced the notion of an "imminent threat." He noted that Iran had directed its military commanders to launch retaliatory strikes against US forces if attacked. Thus, he contended, the US had to act decisively: "We were not going to sit there and absorb a blow," he remarked, underlining the urgency of the situation, according to channelnewsasia and lemonde.

Furthermore, Rubio confirmed that Israeli action had directly led to the US's military engagement. He stated that the attack which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was prompted by intelligence suggesting he was present at a crucial meeting. "No matter what, ultimately this operation needed to happen," Rubio asserted, attempting to justify the mission's objectives focused on degrading Iran's military capabilities, according to aljazeera and channelnewsasia.

Rubio also expressed a desire for a regime change in Iran, saying, "We hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government." However, he insisted that the primary goal of the military operations was the destruction of Iran's missile and naval capabilities rather than regime change, affirming the mission's strategic military objectives, according to aljazeera, lemonde, and channelnewsasia.