UN chief condemns 'any act of retaliation' in Middle East

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "any act of retaliation" in the Middle East, his spokesman said on Friday.

"The Secretary-General reiterates that it is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East," Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Guterres appeals the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond, Dujarric added.

Tension escalated between Iran and Israel on Saturday after Tehran launched a drone and missile attack in response to the April 1 attack on its consulate in Syria, which killed seven Iranian military officers, including two top-ranking commanders.

According to US media reports, Israel carried out a "limited strike" inside Iran early Friday morning. There have been no official comments from Israel yet.