US expects Iran operation to end in ‘weeks, not months’, says Marco Rubio

Secretary of state’s remarks come as Israel threatens to expand its attacks on Iran and Tehran’s missiles and drones target Israel

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Washington expects its operation against Iran to conclude in “weeks, not months”, the US secretary of state has said, despite spiralling violence across the region and a threat from Israel to “escalate and expand” its attacks against the Islamic republic.

“When we are done with them here in the next couple weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history,” Marco Rubio told reporters on Friday after meeting G7 foreign ministers in France.