The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said Monday that the US embassy building in Tel Aviv sustained minor damage from a nearby Iranian missile strike, with no injuries reported among US personnel.
Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israeli cities early Monday in retaliation for Israel’s strike on military targets deep inside Iran. Both nations have since threatened further escalation.
AFP images from Tel Aviv showed gutted buildings across the coastal city after Israel’s army warned residents to take cover from incoming missiles.
“Some minor damage from concussions of Iranian missile hits near Embassy Branch in @TelAviv but no injuries to US personnel,” Huckabee said on X.
He also noted that the US embassy in Jerusalem would remain closed Monday, with orders to “shelter in place” still in effect.
The latest exchange follows decades of enmity and proxy warfare. Israel’s strike on Iran last week has now triggered the most intense fighting yet, raising fears of a prolonged conflict that could engulf the entire Middle East.
Israel claims its operations have struck military and nuclear sites, killing senior commanders and atomic scientists.
However, a senior US official said Sunday that President Donald Trump told Israel to stand down from a plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has called on both sides to “make a deal”, but told reporters Sunday: “Sometimes they have to fight it out first.”
