Tel Aviv, Jun 16: An Iranian missile has damaged the American embassy in Israel, according to reports this morning.
Iran has launched early morning attacks on Tel Aviv and the northern city of Haifa as conflict between the two nations entered its fourth day of open warfare, killing at least five and injuring dozens.
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said the embassy in Tel Aviv was damaged “from concussions of Iranian missile hits” near the building.
“No US personnel were injured,” he added.
Donald Trump had warned Iran not to strike US targets on Sunday, saying the “full strength and might” of America’s military could be used against the country.
Concern over whether the US could be dragged further into the conflict has continued to grow as its forces in the Middle East help shield Israel from Iran’s missile barrage.
Iranian state TV said the country fired at least 100 missiles at Israel overnight, signalling that it has no intention of yielding to international calls for de-escalation.
How is ‘Operation Rising Lion’ going?
Israel launched further attacks on Iran overnight in an attempt to cripple the Islamic regime’s efforts to launch ballistic missiles.
It also struck the command centre of Iran’s Quds force, the external arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is responsible for coordinating what remains of Tehran’s regional proxy network.
To achieve its ultimate objective of destroying Iran’s nuclear programme – a tall order to achieve unilaterally – Israel’s initial aims have been to cripple Iran’s air defences and hinder its ability to launch ballistic missiles.
It has had considerable success in the former, with Israel claiming achieved air superiority, a development that has allowed it to chip away at the rest of the Iranian military machine.
Israel has also made inroads into Iran’s ballistic missile programme, not through conventional means, but by using drones that Mossad operatives assembled near missile launch sites. Conventional strikes are expected to continue now Israel more less controls the skies.
As we saw last night, Iran’s ballistic missiles are still bringing death and destruction to Israeli cities – but the question is: how long Tehran can sustain this tempo? Its ballistic arsenal is substantial, estimated at roughly 3,000 warheads, but several hundred have already been fired, and many others have been destroyed.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to inflict a heavy toll on Iran’s command structure. At least 10 of the country’s leading generals have been killed. Late last night, Israel also confirmed the deaths of Gen Mohammed Kazemi, the IRGC’s intelligence chief, and his deputy Hassan Mohaqiq.
Missile from Yemen ‘falls’ before reaching Israel
Israel’s military said a missile launched from Yemen on Monday fell before entering Israeli territory, after sirens sounded in several areas of the country.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen fell prior to crossing into Israeli territory,” it said.
Since the start of the Israel’s war against Hamas, the Yemen-based Houthi rebels have launched sporadic drone and missile attacks on Israel.
On Sunday, the militia group claimed they targeted Israel with ballistic missiles in coordination with Iran, the first time Tehran’s regional proxy has publicly announced joint cooperation on attacks.
‘Pakistan could attack Israel with nuclear weapon’, says top Iranian official
A top Iranian security official and general in the Revolutionary Guards warned that Pakistan will drop a nuclear weapon on Israel if the country chooses to use one against Iran.
“Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses nuclear missiles, we will also attack it with nuclear weapons,” Mohsen Rezaei claimed on Iranian state TV on Sunday.
Pakistan has vowed to “stand behind Iran” in the wake of Israel’s attacks, but there has been no official comment that it would militarily support Tehran and no reference to nuclear weapons.
Gen Rezaei also claimed that Iran has hidden tactics and capabilities that the country has not yet revealed.
Israelis’ confidence is being shaken as missiles hit
After a third night of Iranian bombardment, Israelis are now in no doubt about the truth of what their government has been saying all along: that the vaunted missile defence system is “not hermetic”.
At least five more people were killed in a series of direct hits last night.
Worryingly, Army Radio just reported that two of the victims, who died after a ballistic missile struck a residential area of Petah Tikvah, east of Tel Aviv, were in a protected space at the time.
The report said the missile’s warhead hit a spot right between two reinforced rooms, which were unable to withstand the blast.
On previous nights, as in previous conflicts, the suggestion was always that the victims of rocket fire were those who, either through choice or necessity, had not followed the official directive to enter a designated bomb shelter.
The safety of these places – reinforced rooms which are not necessarily subterranean, but can also be many storeys up in high-rise buildings – is central to Israelis feeling that they can endure times of war.
Although support for the campaign against Iran feels strong on the street, that confidence is being shaken, with potentially more than a thousand ballistic missiles still at Tehran’s disposal.
A top Iranian security official and general in the Revolutionary Guards warned that Pakistan will drop a nuclear weapon on Israel if the country chooses to use one against Iran.
“Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses nuclear missiles, we will also attack it with nuclear weapons,” Mohsen Rezaei claimed on Iranian state TV on Sunday.
Pakistan has vowed to “stand behind Iran” in the wake of Israel’s attacks, but there has been no official comment that it would militarily support Tehran and no reference to nuclear weapons.
Gen Rezaei also claimed that Iran has hidden tactics and capabilities that the country has not yet revealed.
Iran’s supreme leader’s top aide ‘trying to flee to Russia’
The top aide to Iran’s supreme leader is in negotiations with Russia to secure his exit from Iran, fearing he is next on Israel’s target list, according to a new report.
Ali Asghar Hejazi, deputy chief of staff to Ali Khamenei, is one of the most influential actors in Tehran’s establishment.
Russian officials have assured Hejazi that Moscow would help him to flee Iran safely with his family, reports Iran International, a London-based news outlet, citing sources.
Other senior Iranian officials have reportedly received similar contacts.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said on Saturday that senior Iranian leaders were “packing their bags.”
