WASHINGTON: The United States has urged Iran to halt attacking Israel to pause the cycle of violence following Israel launched attacks against Iran in retaliation for a missile bombardment.
US National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett told reporters that they urged Iran to cease its strikes on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can finish without further escalation.
According to western media, the Israeli army carried out air strikes against Iran on Saturday, striking military bases as well as missile sites, and other systems in several areas. He said, “Their reply was an exercise in self-defense and exactly avoided populated regions and focused exclusively on military targets,”.
He said that Washington did not participate in the operation, adding, “It is our aim to accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions in the region.”
Israel launched strikes against targets in Iran early Saturday, with the Israel army claiming on social media that it was in “reply to months of continuous strikes” by Tehran.
READ ALSO: Israel Strikes Iran, Sound of Blasts Heard Around Tehran
Arab media cited Israeli army X as claiming, “Right now the Israeli Army is conducting precise attacks on military targets in Iran,”.
Israel has been planning a reply to a ballistic-missile barrage conducted by Iran on October 1, Iran’s second direct strike on Israel in last six months.
In Tehran, the sound of blasts could be heard, with state-run media there earlier admitted at least six explosions were heard around the city and adding some of the sounds came from air defense systems around Tehran.
