Washington on Saturday urged Iran not to respond to Israeli strikes overnight on its territory, which came in response to rocket fire on October 1 into Israel.

Meanwhile, Arab and Islamic countries and Hamas condemned the Israeli attack and warned that it contributes to regional instability.

"We urge Iran to cease its attacks on Israel until this cycle of fighting ends without further escalation," National Security Council spokesman Sean Savitt told reporters.

The Israeli military launched airstrikes against Iran early Saturday morning, hitting military bases, missile sites and other systems in several areas.

"Their (Israeli) response was an exercise in self-defense, avoiding populated areas and focusing only on military targets, unlike Iran's attack on Israel, which targeted Israel's most populous city," Savit added.

A senior US administration official said on Friday that Israel had carried out precise airstrikes targeting several military sites in Iran last night, as part of a direct military response. The US was not involved in the operation, he said, stressing that this response should end the direct exchange of fire between the two sides.

The official explained that US President Joe Biden and his national security team had worked with the Israelis over the past weeks to encourage them to respond in a proportionate and precise manner, and that is what was achieved tonight.

He added that President Biden discussed the situation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, urging him to take measures to deter attacks on Israel, while avoiding further escalation, a goal shared by both sides.

The official stressed that if Iran responded, the United States was fully prepared to defend Israel, and that Iran would face consequences as a result of any further attack.

The official added that the Israeli response tonight should be the end of the direct exchange of fire between the two sides. He explained that Israel has made it clear that it has completed its response, calling on all influential countries to pressure Iran to stop its attacks on Israel, with the aim of ending the series of mutual attacks.

The official indicated that the United States is ready to lead efforts to end the conflict in Lebanon, through an agreement that allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return safely to their homes.

He also announced Washington's readiness to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the return of the hostages, stressing that the broad outlines of these arrangements are ready and should be implemented without delay.

The Israeli army announced the end of a precise attack it carried out, at dawn on Saturday, against Iranian military sites in several areas, in response to a series of attacks launched by Iran against Israel in recent months, stressing that all participating aircraft returned safely to their bases.

The airstrikes, which were carried out based on intelligence guidance, included Iranian missile production sites that had been launched toward Israel over the past year, the army said in a statement, adding that these missiles posed a direct threat to the security of Israeli citizens.

For its part, the Iranian Air Defense Public Relations Agency confirmed, in a statement on Saturday, that "the comprehensive air defense system successfully intercepted and confronted the Israeli aggression."

She pointed out that Israel, "in a tense move, attacked military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam, despite previous warnings from officials of the Islamic Republic to the criminal and illegitimate Zionist entity to avoid taking any adventurous action."

She pointed out that "some points were exposed to limited damage due to the aggression," noting that an investigation is underway into the dimensions of the incident.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also stressed that "the aggression against Iranian military headquarters is a violation of international law and our sovereignty," and that "Iran has the right to defend itself against any aggression."

She added: "We affirm that we will use all our capabilities to defend our security, interests and commitment to regional security."

Axios quoted three sources familiar with the matter as saying that Israel sent a message to Iran on Friday before its retaliatory airstrikes, warning the Iranians not to respond.

The sources said the Israeli message was an attempt to limit the ongoing exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran and prevent a wider escalation.

Three waves of airstrikes took place on Saturday morning local time, US and Israeli officials told the site.

The first wave focused on Iran's air defense system, and the second and third waves focused on missile and drone bases and weapons production sites.

Iran said it defeated the Israeli attack and that only "damage" was inflicted on military targets across the country.