Israel's military said it targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and research scientists in dozens of preemptive airstrikes early Friday morning local time — and said it would continue the attacks in the coming days.

After Israel launched what it called a "preemptive strike" against Iran, Sec. of State Marco Rubio released a statement saying, "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."

Israel has launched a major attack on Iran, raising fears that the long-running shadow war between the adversaries may spiral into a more dangerous regional conflict