US Embassy in Israel operations were briefly disrupted after a missile blast near its Tel Aviv branch caused slight structural damage, according to an update shared by US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. The incident followed a wave of Iranian missile attacks on Israeli urban centers early Monday.
The strike came in response to reported Israeli air raids targeting Iranian military and nuclear assets late last week. The bombardment, which began on June 13, resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian officers and key nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Iran launched more than 100 ballistic missiles, hitting multiple Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa.
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Although Israel’s Iron Dome defense system successfully intercepted many of the projectiles, several missiles managed to breach the shield, resulting in civilian casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure. At least eight fatalities and numerous injuries have been confirmed across the affected regions.
Ambassador Huckabee confirmed in a post on social media platform X that while the US Embassy in Israel experienced “minor damage from nearby missile impact concussions,” no American personnel were harmed.
The shockwave from one of the missiles reportedly struck close to the Tel Aviv consular branch. As a precaution, both the US Embassy in Jerusalem and its Tel Aviv consulate remain closed, with a “shelter-in-place” advisory in effect.
Images emerging from Tel Aviv show scenes of destruction, with rescue workers attending to fires and collapsed buildings. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran claimed responsibility for the strikes, asserting that the missile barrage temporarily disrupted Israeli air defenses.
However, Iranian officials have yet to clarify whether the impact near the US Embassy in Israel was a deliberate target.
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Amid rising tensions, US President Donald Trump has called for diplomatic engagement between Iran and Israel. Speaking over the weekend, he acknowledged that while peaceful resolution is ideal, “sometimes they have to fight it out.”
A senior American official revealed that Trump had also advised Israeli leadership to refrain from targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning that such an act could significantly escalate hostilities.
