Washington, 13 June 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The United States was not involved in Israel's strike against Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, warning Tehran not to target US personnel in the region.

"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," he said in a post on X.

"Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," he added.

Israel launched what it described as a "preemptive" strike on Iran's nuclear programme early Friday, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reporting that dozens of jets struck military targets across Iran in a first stage. The IDF said the move was in response to ongoing threats from Tehran.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared a state of emergency for the country, saying a missile and drone attack on Israel was expected "in the immediate future," according to the Times of Israel.

Photo: MIA archive