Iran calls on UN to prevent further escalation in Middle East tensions

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry called on the United Nations Security Council to take "meaningful action" to prevent threats against regional peace and security, after Tehran launched a salvo of missiles against Israel on Tuesday.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said the assault was in retaliation for recent Israeli killings of militant leaders and aggression in Gaza and Lebanon. Lebanese Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guards deputy Commander Abbas Nilforoushan were killed in Beirut last week.

"Our defensive operation is in line with international law and the right to self defence ... we only targeted military and security facilities," the foreign ministry said in its statement regarding the missile attack on Israel.

In an earlier post on X, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran's action was "in defence of Iranian interests and citizens", adding that his country was not looking for war but would "firmly stand against any threat."

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Daniel Wallis)