The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said on Monday that the U.S. Embassy branch in Tel Aviv sustained minor damage from the shockwaves of an Iranian missile strike, but confirmed that no American personnel were injured.
The incident occurred as Iran launched a wave of missile attacks on Israeli cities early Monday, in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on military targets deep within Iranian territory. Both nations have since issued warnings of further escalation.
Images from AFP showed significant damage to buildings in Tel Aviv, Israel’s coastal economic hub, where air raid sirens and army alerts urged residents to seek shelter.
“Some minor damage from concussions of Iranian missile hits near [the] Embassy Branch in @TelAviv but no injuries to US personnel,” Huckabee posted on X (formerly Twitter).
He also announced that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem would remain closed on Monday, with a shelter-in-place order still in effect for embassy staff.
The latest exchange marks a dangerous escalation in the long-standing hostilities between Iran and Israel, which have previously played out through proxy groups across the region. Israel claims its recent strikes targeted Iranian military and nuclear facilities, killing high-ranking commanders and nuclear scientists.
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official revealed that President Donald Trump had intervened to prevent Israel from carrying out a reported plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has called on both sides to consider negotiations, telling reporters Sunday: “Sometimes they have to fight it out first… but ultimately, they should make a deal.”
AFP
