U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday called Israel's strikes against Iran a "unilateral action" and said Washington was not involved while also urging Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region.

Notably absent from Rubio’s statement was any explicit assurance that the U.S. would back Israel if Tehran retaliated—a line that had once been a hallmark of U.S.-Israel policy. Trump, meanwhile, who finds himself increasingly at odds with Netanyahu over Iran and Israel’s conduct in Gaza, is walking a tightrope.

The Trump administration's reaction to Israel's attack on Iran seems inconsistent, as President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio have different takes.