UNITED NATIONS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "any military escalation in the Middle East," said Farhan Haq, his deputy spokesperson, in a statement on Israel's strikes against Iran on Thursday local time.

The UN chief "is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran's nuclear program are underway," the statement said.

Noting UN member states are obliged to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, the secretary-general urged both sides to show maximum restraint and avoid at all costs a descent into deeper conflict -- a situation that the region can hardly afford, the statement added.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that Israel has launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran. Israeli Defense Forces confirmed in a statement that its jets have completed the first-stage attack, notably strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.

Iran's IRIB state TV reported explosions in areas of the capital of Tehran and counties of Natanz, Khondab and Khorramabad. Multiple casualties, including women and children, were reported in a residential building in Tehran, according to the state TV. ■