"The Secretary-General reiterates that the time has come to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement issued on Friday following reports of Israel attacking Iranian targets, Xinhua news agency reported. " The agency told.

"The Secretary-General condemns any acts of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further developments, which could have devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond," Dujarric said.

Tehran, which launched massive retaliatory attacks on Israel after Israel bombed its consulate in Syria last week, has played down Friday's attack.