The US Embassy in Tel Aviv sustained minor damage on Monday following a nearby missile strike launched by Iran, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, confirmed. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among American personnel.
In an early morning salvo, Iran unleashed a series of missiles targeting Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, in retaliation for Israeli air strikes on military sites deep within Iranian territory. Both nations have since issued stark warnings of further, more devastating attacks.
Images captured by AFP revealed significant destruction to residential and commercial buildings in Tel Aviv’s coastal hub, where Israeli authorities urged residents to take immediate shelter as Iranian missiles approached.
Ambassador Huckabee took to X (formerly Twitter) to reassure the public: “Some minor damage from concussions of Iranian missile hits near Embassy Branch in @TelAviv but no injuries to US personnel.” He added that the US embassy in Jerusalem would remain closed on Monday, with shelter-in-place orders still in effect.
This latest flare-up represents the most intense direct confrontation between Israel and Iran in years, following Israel’s unprecedented strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities last week, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of several top commanders and nuclear scientists.
However, a senior US official disclosed on Sunday that President Donald Trump had intervened to dissuade Israel from pursuing an assassination attempt on Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaling concerns about a wider regional escalation.
Despite calls for diplomacy, Trump acknowledged the complex reality, telling reporters, “Sometimes they have to fight it out,” while urging both parties to “make a deal” to resolve the ongoing crisis.
As the conflict continues to unfold, global attention remains fixed on the volatile Middle East, where the threat of broader warfare looms large.
