Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that Israel is “not dragging” the U.S. into its war with Iran, pushing back against growing fears of a broader regional conflict after Washington sent an overnight strike against three major Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday.

Herzog made the statement during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Kasie Hunt on Sunday, in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles against Iran’s key nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

“We made clear throughout that we are not dragging America into a war,” Herzog said. “We are leaving it to the decision of the President of the United States and his team, because it had to do with America’s national security interests, period. We are not intending, and we don’t ask for America now to go to war because the Iranians are threatening Israel.”

Close-up view of destroyed building at the nuclear site in Isfahan, Iran.  (Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reiterated Herzog’s message during an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with host Maria Bartiromo, asserting that the U.S. is “not at war” with Iran. 

Rubio added that regime change is “not the goal” and that Washington is still offering a diplomatic path forward.