US Embassy in Israel sustains minor damage after Iranian missile strike; no injuries reported

NEW DELHI: The US Embassy in Israel suffered minor damage from the concussive force of Iranian missile strikes near its Tel Aviv branch, the US Ambassador to Israel confirmed on Monday. No injuries were reported among US personnel.The ambassador also stated that, due to the ongoing security situation and a shelter-in-place order, the embassy and its consulate would remain officially closed for the day.“Some minor damage from concussions of Iranian missile hits near embassy branch in Tel Aviv but no injuries to US personnel,” the ambassador said.Video footage from the region showed multiple missiles flying over Tel Aviv, with loud explosions heard across the city and in Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, several residential buildings in a densely populated area were destroyed in a strike that shattered windows of nearby hotels and homes just a few hundred metres from the US Embassy.This escalation comes amid high tensions in the region, following a report by Reuters that US President Donald Trump recently vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership,” a senior US official told the agency.US officials reportedly remain in continuous contact with their Israeli counterparts following Israel’s large-scale military strike on Iran, reportedly aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions.