A day after suggesting U.S. strikes on Iran may have been influenced by Israeli plans, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday defended the decision to strike and pushed back on criticism over the rationale for the action.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Rubio said President Donald Trump acted to prevent potential attacks on U.S. forces and that he determined we were not going to get hit first.

We are not going to put American troops in harms way. If you tell the President of the United States that if we dont go first were going to have more people killed and more people injured, the president is going to go first, Rubio said. Thats what he did. Thats what the president will always do. He will always put the safety and security of our men and women in uniform and of all Americans before anything else. Hes always going to do that and thats what he did here.

WATCH | Rubio provides update on military actions in Iran

Rubio provides update on Iran war, Americans seeking to evacuate region

In addition to that, I would argue that this threat from Iran, they are hiding behind these missiles and hiding behind these drones, Rubio added. They wanted to reach a point where you couldnt touch them and then they could do whatever the hell they wanted with their nuclear program, and there was no way in the world that this terrorist regime was going to get nuclear weapons, not under Donald Trumps watch.

Rubio also said the State Department is working to arrange charter planes and buses to assist Americans stranded in the Middle East because of the conflict. Earlier in the day, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the U.S. embassy in Israel is not in a position to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing the country.

"It will be a variety of methods, charter flights, military flights and transports, expanded commercial opportunities and in some cases land routes that will allow them to go to neighboring countries who might have open airports at that point," Rubio said. "So it's a lot of different things here that need to happen in order to move people, but it all starts by knowing that you're there. It all starts by knowing that where you are and how we can get a hold of you."

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Meanwhile, Rubio's comments Tuesday came as he was on Capitol Hill to brief lawmakers on the situation in Iran. Both chambers of Congress are set to vote this week on measures that could limit U.S. military involvement in Iran.

The decision to launch the strikes has also drawn bipartisan skepticism, with some Republicans citing Trumps campaign pledge to avoid new U.S. wars. Public opinion is also mixed, with polling indicating only about four in 10 Americans most of them Republicans view the strikes as necessary.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that someone with close ties to former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be the best choice to lead Iran after the U.S. and Israeli military operation in the country ends.

Speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after a White House meeting that was scheduled before the strikes on Iran, Trump said somebody from within the Iranian regime would be his preference to take over. He also acknowledged that many of the individuals his administration had considered for the role have been killed in the conflict.

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Most of the people we had in mind are dead, Trump said. So, you know, we had some in mind from that group that is dead and now we have another group, they may be dead also based on reports. So I guess you have a third wave coming in. Pretty soon were not going to know anybody.

Khamenei, killed over the weekend in a targeted Israeli strike enabled by U.S. intelligence, had ruled for more than 35 years and was a central figure in Irans hostility toward Israel. He oversaw financing for Hamas, the arming of Hezbollah, and the development of a military and intelligence network across the Middle East aimed at opposing Israel.

Khamenei's death leaves a sudden and uncertain power vacuum in Tehran. No clear successor has been named, and analysts say infighting among Irans political and military elite is likely. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retains both its military capabilities and resolve to pursue Irans long-standing policies, but its next leader could either alter or entrench the countrys course.