- The US Embassy in Tel Aviv was temporarily closed due to minor damage from an Iranian missile strike.
- No injuries or casualties were reported among US diplomatic staff following the incident.
- Videos showed broken glass and window panes at the consulate from the nearby explosions.
The Embassy of the United States in Tel Aviv was temporarily closed after the building sustained minor damage following an Iranian missile strike overnight, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed on Monday. Though no injuries or casualties were reported among US diplomatic staff, videos surfaced on the internet showing the consulate building impacted by the concussive force of nearby explosions.
Our US Embassy in Israel and Consulate will officially remain closed today as shelter in place still in effect. Some minor damage from concussions of Iranian missile hits near Embassy Branch in Tel Aviv but no injuries to US personnel," Huckabee wrote in a post on X.
The videos from the damaged buildings in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv show glass and window panes broken by the force of the missile attack that happened near the building. The embassy was closed for the day after the destruction, and staff were ordered to shelter in safe places, adhering to emergency protocols.
The attack near the American embassy marks the first direct threat to US diplomatic missions in the region since hostilities between Israel and Iran started that week.
Iran unleashed a barrage of missile strikes on Israeli cities early on Monday, after Israel struck military targets deep inside Iran, with both sides threatening further devastation. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said five people were killed and 92 wounded on Monday, raising the previous toll of four deaths.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war fought through proxies and covert operations, Israel's surprise assault on Iran last week has touched off the most intense fighting yet and triggered fears of a lengthy conflict that could engulf the Middle East.
Israel says its attacks have hit military and nuclear facilities, and killed many top commanders and atomic scientists -- but a senior US official said Sunday that US President Donald Trump told Israel to back down from a plan to kill supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has urged the foes to "make a deal", but told reporters Sunday that "sometimes they have to fight it out" first.
