Iran has threatened "severe" consequences to any further military action by Israel in the wake of Saturday night's barrage of drones and missiles in retaliation to a suspected Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy building earlier this month.

At an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Sunday, envoys from the two countries locked horns over the attacks - with Israel calling for sanctions and further retaliation, Iran claiming the matter had "concluded", and UN Secretary-General António Guterres counselling de-escalation.

In a statement posted online, Iran's mission to the UN said: "Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus.

"The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.

"It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!"

It echoed comments by Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani, who claimed his country had been invoking its "inherent right to self-defence" and “had no choice” but to act.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilan Erdan, called on Security Council members to impose "all possible sanctions" on Iran, adding: "Today the council must take action (and) condemn Iran for their terror."

Guterres, the Secretary-General, warned against inflaming tensions any further by retaliating against Iran, adding that the Middle East was already "on the brink".

He said: "The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict.

"Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war."

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