The US Embassy in Jerusalem sustained minor structural damage from the shockwaves of Iranian missile strikes, though no injuries were reported among American personnel, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed on Monday, June 16.
In light of the situation, the US Embassy and Consulate will remain closed for the day as a shelter-in-place order continues amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
Taking to social media platform X, Ambassador Huckabee stated that some minor damage from concussions of Iranian missile hits near Embassy Branch but no injuries to US personnel.
The ongoing hostilities have further intensified following media reports that US President Donald Trump recently vetoed an alleged plot to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a revelation that has added to regional tensions.
Iran, Israel tensions
On the Iranian side, the civilian death toll continues to rise. According to Iran’s health ministry, at least 230 people have died after four consecutive nights of Israeli airstrikes, with nearly 90 per cent of those casualties reported to be civilians.
Despite the soaring toll and global calls for de-escalation, Tehran has firmly rejected ceasefire talks while Israeli attacks persist. This rejection of ceasefire talks from Iran follows Israel’s attack on the world’s largest gas field in the country, which it shares with Qatar.
Mediators from Qatar and Oman were reportedly informed by Iranian authorities that meaningful negotiations will only be considered once Iran completes its full-scale military response to Israel’s pre-emptive operations.
Israel, meanwhile, has claimed substantial success in targeting Iran’s critical military and nuclear infrastructure. Israeli officials assert that numerous high-ranking Iranian military commanders and atomic scientists have been eliminated in recent strikes.
In the latest overnight offensive, Israeli forces struck more than 80 targets across Tehran, extending their attacks beyond nuclear and military installations to include vital oil depots and government facilities, where civilian deaths were also reported.
On Sunday, two major fuel depots in Tehran were destroyed by Israeli air raids, while additional strikes hit Ahvaz in the oil-rich Khuzestan province.
The Israeli military also targeted the headquarters of Tehran’s police and defence ministry, as well as a key defence-linked site in the city of Isfahan.
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