US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel’s plan to launch attack, Rubio says
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<p>Democrats disturbed by rationale that Trump ordered pre-emptive strikes out of concern about Tehran retaliation</p><p>Israel’s determination to attack Iran and the certainty that US troops would be targeted in response forced the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes, secretary of state Marco Rubio said, in a new explanation for Washington’s surprise entry into the conflict.</p><p>The rationale drew divided reviews from top members of Congress who on M
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US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel’s plan to launch attack, Rubio says Democrats disturbed by rationale that Trump ordered pre-emptive strikes out of concern about Tehran retaliation Israel’s determination to attack Iran and the certainty that US troops would be targeted in response forced the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes, secretary of state Marco Rubio said, in a new explanation for Washington’s surprise entry into the conflict. The rationale drew divided reviews from top members of Congress who on Monday evening received the first briefing by the Trump administration since it ordered the air campaign to begin over the weekend. Rubio, CIA director John Ratcliffe and joint chiefs of staff chair Dan Caine spoke to the lawmakers behind closed doors in the Capitol ahead of a vote expected later this week in the House of Representatives on a war powers resolution that presents an unlikely opportunity to force Trump to end hostilities against Iran . “It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone – the United States or Israel or anyone – they were going to respond, and respond against the United States,” Rubio told reporters at the Capitol. “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. 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.” Since the conflict began, the United States and Israel have carried out waves of airstrikes across Iran, and Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks against US-aligned countries across the Middle East. The air campaign has killed several of Iran’s top military and political leaders, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The US military has acknowledged the deaths of six service members, while the Iranian Red Crescent Society said more than 500 people have been killed in the country. Reactions to the administration...
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