The Government of Maldives has expressed its strong condemnation of Israel’s recent military strikes targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran, which constitute a violation of Iran’s sovereignty and international law.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Government of Maldives calls for the immediate de-escalation of hostilities that have exacerbated tensions, threatening the security of the countries and peoples across the region.

"The Government of Maldives urges all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint to diffuse tensions and respect international law. The Maldives calls on the international community to undertake all measures necessary to support efforts to bring immediate cessation of hostilities and enhance dialogue to ensure lasting peace in the region," the statement further added.

Israel struck military sites in Iran early on Saturday (Oct 26), saying it was retaliating against Tehran's strikes on Israel this month, the latest attack in the escalating conflict between the heavily armed rivals.

Hours later, the Israeli military said its strikes had been completed and its objectives achieved, but a semi-official Iranian news agency vowed a "proportional reaction" to Israeli moves against Tehran.

Iranian media reported multiple explosions over several hours in the capital and at nearby military bases, starting shortly after 2 am (2230 GMT on Friday).

Before dawn, Israel's public broadcaster said three waves of strikes had been completed and that the operation was over.

Iran said its air defence system successfully countered Israel's attacks on military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam with "limited damage" to some locations.

The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel's retaliation for a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on Oct 1, in which around 200 missiles were fired at Israel and one person was killed in the West Bank.