US President Donald Trump’s administration sought to distance the United States on Thursday evening from Israel’s strikes on Iran.

Israel said it had struck Iranian nuclear targets to block Tehran from developing atomic weapons, even as the Trump administration was preparing to hold a sixth round of talks on Sunday on Tehran’s escalating uranium enrichment program.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state and national security adviser, stressed that Israel’s strikes were unilateral, while saying the US had known attacks would occur.

“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.”

Rubio had a stark warning for Iran, a day after the United States ordered some US personnel to leave the Middle East in response to tensions in the area. “Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” he said.

His statement did not mention whether Washington would support Israel if it faces retaliatory strikes, a standard line in the past.

On Thursday, just hours before the strikes, Trump made the case that there was still time for diplomacy — but it was running out.

The White House had even planned to dispatch special envoy........

© The Times of Israel