Cliff Notes
- The US Secretary of State stressed that Israel’s airstrikes on Iran were a unilateral decision, despite Iran’s claims of American support for the attacks.
- Tensions escalated as Trump advised Netanyahu against military action, fearing it would hinder diplomatic negotiations with Iran regarding nuclear weapons.
- The US was informed ahead of the strikes and is prioritising the safety of its personnel in the region amid rising threats from Iran.
Israel defied Trump and chose to act now
One word did the heavy lifting in Marco Rubio’s statement: unilateral.
The US secretary of state was keen to emphasise that strikes on Iran were Israel’s decision alone.
But that was not enough for Iran’s foreign minister, who claimed Israel could not have carried out the attack without support from America.
President Donald Trump had urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran.