Rubio suggests US strikes on Iran were influenced by Israeli plans
Al Jazeera
Secretary of state says he hopes Iranian people would overthrow regime as US military says six service members killed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that a planned Israeli attack against Iran determined the timing of Washington’s assault against the government in Tehran.
The United States’ top diplomat told reporters on Monday that Washington was aware that Israel was going to attack Iran, and that Tehran would retaliate against US interests in the region, so American forces struck pre-emptively.
“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,” Rubio said after a briefing with congressional leaders.
“We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”
The US secretary of state’s comments came minutes before the US military confirmed that its death toll from the conflict has risen to six after recovering two bodies from a regional facility struck by Iran.
Protests erupt across India after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in US-Israeli air strikes on Iran.
A drone strike at a British base in Cyprus highlights UK’s precarious position in US attacks on Iran as it walks a legal and military tightrope.
Hospitals across Iran have been damaged by US, Israeli strikes – but no reports of direct hits yet.
Defence analysts tell Al Jazeera that Iran has revised its military strategy since 12-day war with Israel.
Army deployed and few areas in northern Gilgit-Baltistan region put under curfew after violence over Khamenei’s killing.
With World Cup cohost US and Iran engaged in conflict, Team Melli’s tournament participation is thrown into doubt.
This comes after Saudi Arabia announced the temporary closure of one of its largest oil facilities following drone attacks.
Separately, MSF says 26 humanitarian workers are missing following recent violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei state.
Barcelona face gargantuan task of trying to overturn a 4-0 defeat in the second leg of the semifinal tie at Camp Nou.
Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II has changed the nature of warfare, including today’s Middle East crisis.