United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled his planned visit to Israel following a joint military operation by the United States and Israel targeting sites in Iran.
The US State Department confirmed on Saturday that Rubio would no longer undertake the trip scheduled for Monday.
“Due to current circumstances, Secretary Rubio will no longer travel to Israel on March 2,” Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, Dylan Johnson, announced in a post on X.
The cancellation comes after coordinated strikes carried out by US and Israeli forces on Saturday against multiple targets in Iranian cities. The attacks reportedly triggered explosions and plumes of smoke in Tehran, the Iranian capital.
President Donald Trump stated that the objective of the operation was to eliminate what he described as “imminent threats” posed by Iran. In a video message shared on his social media platform, Trump confirmed that American forces had launched major combat operations.
“The United States military began major combat operations in Iran,” Trump said. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz characterized the military action as a “preventive strike.”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon disclosed that Iran had responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US positions. However, officials reported no American casualties.
According to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces successfully intercepted and defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone strikes launched in retaliation.
“There have been no reports of US casualties or combat-related injuries. Damage to US installations was minimal and has not impacted operations,” the statement read.
The situation remains tense as diplomatic and military developments continue to unfold in the region.
