The US is "ahead of schedule" in its operation against Iran and will "unleash" on the country in "the next few hours and days," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Tuesday, NBC News reports.

"You’re going to really begin to perceive a change in the scope and in the intensity of these attacks as frankly, the two most powerful air forces in the world take apart this terroristic regime and defang it and take away its ability to threaten its neighbors or hide behind a zone of immunity that allows them to develop their nuclear ambitions," Rubio said.

Rubio clarified that the US did not attack Iran because Israel was going to, but because President Trump "made a decision."

"And the decision he made was that Iran was not going to be allowed to hide behind its ballistic missile program, that Iran was not going to be allowed to hide behind its ability to conduct these attacks," he said.

Rubio encouraged Americans in the Middle East who want assistance getting out to contact the US administration.

"We have to be able to call you, we have to be able to reach you," Rubio said. "We have to be able to know where you’re staying so we can get this information to you and coordinate appropriately."