Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said on Monday that a close Iranian missile strike caused minor damage to an embassy building in Tel Aviv, but there were no fatalities among US staff.
Iran launched a salvo of missiles towards Tel Aviv early Monday after Israel targeted military sites deep inside Iran, with both sides vowing additional devastation.
AFP photographs showed burnt buildings in Tel Aviv’s seaside core after Israel’s army urged residents to seek shelter from oncoming Iranian 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 said the US embassy in Jerusalem would stay closed on Monday since orders to “shelter in place” were still in effect.
After decades of hostility and proxy conflicts, Israel’s attack on Iran last week sparked the most violent fighting yet, raising worries of a long-running battle that may envelop the whole Middle East.
Israel claims its attacks have targeted military and nuclear installations, killing numerous top commanders and atomic experts.
However, a senior US official stated on Sunday that US President Donald Trump urged Israel to abandon plans to assassinate supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has urged his adversaries to “make a deal” but told reporters Sunday that “sometimes they have to fight it out” first.
