Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday evening the U.S. was not involved in Israeli strikes inside Iran in an effort to distance Washington from getting in between the two adversaries.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said in a statement.

“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel,” Rubio added.

The Israeli launch, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites, comes as Trump and his administration have been working for weeks........

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