Israeli strikes targeted dozens of sites across Iran aimed at dismantling the nation's nuclear program, Jerusalem has said. The move comes as the U.S. distances itself from the Israeli government's actions in anticipation of an Iranian counterstrike.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday warned Iran against attacking U.S. troops in response to the Israeli assault, saying Jerusalem acted alone.

"Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran," he said in a statement. "We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel."

In justifying the strike, the IDF said that Tehran had worked with its myriad proxy groups to draft a plan for Israel's outright eradication just days before.

The president subsequent convened a Cabinet meeting in response to the developments, leading to a public statement disavowing involvement.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Jerusalem had launched what it called a "pre-emptive" strike, ABC News reported. The scope of the strikes remains unclear as of press time, but video footage purportedly from Tehran shows columns of smoke rising in the city.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strikes to the Jerusalem Post, saying "[w]eapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world." It further asserted that Iran had worked with Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups to eliminate Israel entirely in recent days.

Trump, for his part, directed his "entire" administration to pursue diplomatic options in Truth Social post just hours before the move.

"My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he said ahead of time.

Earlier in the day, he said he opposed an Israeli strike.

“As long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want them going in because I think that would blow it," Trump told reporters. "Might help it, actually. But also could blow it... But we’ve had very good discussions with Iran."