Iran live updates: 7th killed service member is identified

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he believes American bases are "legitimate targets" in a new interview with Iranian state TV.

"When the United States attacks us -- whether by fighter jets or the ships it deploys -- they have access to our territory to strike with all kinds of missiles and aircraft. We cannot reach their territory, but we can reach their bases. I think those bases are legitimate targets," Araghchi said.

An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said the Strait of Hormuz is "closed."

"The strait is closed, and whoever wants to cross, our heroes in the navy of the IRGC and army will set those ships on fire," Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabari said on Iranian state TV earlier.

The Strait of Hormuz is one world's most important chokepoints for oil. Roughly 20% of the world's oil passes through the Strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Israel Defense Forces said the Israeli Air Force has "struck and dismantled" the Iranian state broadcaster "a short while ago."

"The center was also recently used by the Iranian regime's forces to advance military activities under the guise of civilian activity and assets, in addition to the propaganda activities that emanate from the communications center," the IDF said in a statement.

"The IDF will continue to strike the Iranian regime's infrastructure across Tehran," the statement added.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that knowledge of pending Israeli action played a part in the decision to strike Iran now -- though denied that Israel forced the U.S.' hand.

"It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone -- the United States or Israel or anyone -- they were going to respond, and respond against the United States. The orders had been delegated down to the field commanders," Rubio told reporters before his briefing for members of the Gang of 8 on Capitol Hill.

Rubio said the near-immediate retaliation from Iran had proven his point -- saying missiles had been "prepositioned" to strike before the initial attack on the leadership compound.

"If we stood and waited for that attack to come first, before we hit them, we would suffer much higher casualties," Rubio said. "We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties."

When asked if the U.S. was forced to strike because of an impending Israeli action, Rubio said no, and that U.S. military action would have eventually been necessary anyway.

Asked about regime change, Rubio said it was not a chief objective of the operation, but that "we would not be heartbroken" if it happened.

Pressed on whether the U.S. would play a role in shaping the next government of Iran, Rubio was noncommittal.

"I mean, we might. We'll see how circumstances play out," he said.