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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem has been closed for security reasons following an Iranian missile strike in the area.
“Reports @Israel has closed Church of Holy Sepulcher & Al Aska Mosque omit important fact-the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site is also closed,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced.
“A large piece of Iranian missile landed in courtyard at Church of the Holy Sepulcher. If not closed, mass casualties,” he continued.
Reports @Israel has closed Church of Holy Sepulcher & Al Aska Mosque omit important fact-the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site is also closed. A large piece of Iranian missile landed in courtyard at Church of the Holy Sepulcher. If not closed, mass casualties.
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) March 18, 2026
Orthodox Christianity wrote earlier this month:
As a result of the closure, the Jerusalem Patriarchate celebrated the Sunday of Orthodoxy on March 1 in an alternative venue. Vespers were held not in the Holy Sepulchre, as is customary, but in the Patriarchal and Monastic Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen. His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III presided, concelebrating with the Holy Sepulchre fathers and hierarchs present.
The Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning was likewise celebrated in the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen. The service was attended by nuns, a small number of Jerusalemite faithful, and pilgrims.
Following the Liturgy, the procession of the holy icons took place on the terraces of the central monastery, followed by the reading of the Synodikon—the proclamation of “Memory eternal” for the defenders of the holy icons and “Anathema” upon the iconoclasts and all heretics. The festivities concluded with a procession to the Patriarchate Hall and a festal reception.
“Jerusalem’s holy sites stand empty for one reason: protecting worshippers. The same safety measures apply to the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the Israel Foreign Ministry stated.
“While the Iranian regime fires missiles at civilians of all religions – even toward Jerusalem’s holy sites during Ramadan – Israel protects the life and safety of all worshippers,” it added.
Jerusalem’s holy sites stand empty for one reason: protecting worshippers. The same safety measures apply to the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
While the Iranian regime fires missiles at civilians of all religions – even toward Jerusalem’s… pic.twitter.com/34DVmaT3tD
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) March 14, 2026
According to the Israeli government, an Iranian missile exploded over several holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Iranian Missile Explodes Over “Jerusalem’s Old City,” Israel Says
“An Iranian missile exploded over Jerusalem’s Old City. Its fragments fell on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Armenian Patriarchate, the Jewish Quarter and on the Temple Mount near the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Israel stated.
An Iranian missile exploded over Jerusalem’s Old City. Its fragments fell on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Armenian Patriarchate, the Jewish Quarter and on the Temple Mount near the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Iranian regime is firing missiles toward Jerusalem’s holy sites,… pic.twitter.com/8vKyURiGVW
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) March 16, 2026
Daily Mail shared further:
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the second most visited attraction in Israel, with over two million annual visitors, following the Western Wall – the last remaining remnant of the Second Temple complex destroyed by the Romans in 70AD.
Church leaders in the Holy Land have called the closure unprecedented, as even during past wars and periods of tension, worship at the site continued in some form.
The move highlights how escalating tensions are now reaching even the most sacred and historically resilient religious sites in Jerusalem.
There were no casualties or major damage reported at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the nearby hilltop plateau known to Muslims and to Jews as Temple Mount, a flashpoint site that is holy to both faiths.
Photos distributed by police showed debris sitting on a red-tiled roof adjacent to the Holy Sepulchre.