CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the current escalation in the Middle East over the phone, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The two leaders emphasised the necessity of restraint and halting the cycle of reciprocal targeting, which places the entire Middle East on the brink of a regional war, Xinhua news agency reported.

They reviewed ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and to deliver humanitarian aid urgently and in sufficient quantities.

The two sides also underscored the importance of respecting Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, reaffirming their support for Lebanese state institutions.

The Israel Defense Forces said it launched early Saturday "precise and targeted" airstrikes on targets in several areas in Iran.

Iran's air defence headquarters said in a statement that it had successfully countered the Israeli attack, which inflicted "limited damage".

Iran's army said two of its soldiers were killed in the Israeli military strike.

--IANS

int/khz