IRAN said its missile attack on Israel on Tuesday was an act of self-defence in response to the Zionist regime's aggressive actions, including the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the missile attack was also in retaliation for the killing of Hizbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and General Abbas Nilforushan, Iran's senior military adviser, in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut last Friday.

It said the attack, which saw almost 200 missiles launched at Israel, was a response to the violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

This, it also said, was done in accordance with the inherent right of self-defence as stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

"The resort of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the right of self-defence, after a long period of restraint, demonstrates Iran's responsible approach to regional and international peace and security at a time when the illegal actions and genocide by the occupying apartheid Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and the repeated military aggressions of this regime against Lebanon and Syria continues," it said in a statement.

The ministry said Iran's missile attack on Tuesday also targeted military and security objectives.

"Unlike the Zionist regime, which has always considered innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure as legitimate targets for aggression and massacre, the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on ethical principles and high Islamic teachings and in full compliance with the principle of international humanitarian law, has targeted only the military and security objectives of the Zionist regime in its defensive missile attack."

Iran called on Israel's financial and military backers to "stop the insane actions of the leaders of the Zionist regime" and warned against any involvement of third parties in the issue.

It called on the United Nations Security Council to implement "immediate and meaningful action" to prevent Israel's continuation of threats against regional and international peace and security.

"Iran, if necessary, is fully prepared to take further defensive measures to protect its legitimate interests and defend Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity against any aggressive military action and illegal use of force, and will not hesitate in this regard."

On Tuesday, Iran launched an unprecedented missile attack against Israel, targeting three military bases in Tel Aviv following weeks of soaring violence and tensions in the region.

While Israel said it intercepted most of the missiles launched, Iran said 90 per cent of its missiles hit their targets.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the attack, said Iran made a "big mistake tonight", and that "it will pay for it".

Experts had cautioned that the Middle East was on the brink of war following Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, which has claimed more than 41,000 Palestinians lives since October last year.

Lebanon-based Hizbollah has also been trading fire with Israel across the Lebanon-Israel border.

Israel has since stoked fears of a full-scale ground assault into Lebanon.