WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Iran's airborne attack Saturday against Israel and urged a cessation of hostilities.

"I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities," he said in a statement.

Guterres said he is "deeply alarmed" about the "very real danger" of a devastating region-wide escalation.

"I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

"I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war," he added.

Iran began an airborne attack against Israel on Saturday in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The Israeli strike killed at least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals.

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond. Tel Aviv has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack but it has for months carried out several strikes against Iranian targets across Syria.

Iran and Hezbollah, its main ally in Lebanon, have said the attack will not go unpunished.