Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi requested the meeting in a letter to the 15-member body, saying Israel "has now crossed every red line, and the international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished."

"Iran reaffirms its inherent right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and will respond decisively and proportionately to these unlawful and cowardly acts," Araghchi wrote.

Article 51 of the U.N. Charter covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defense against armed attack.

Israel launched a barrage of strikes across Iran on Friday, saying it had attacked nuclear facilities and missile factories and killed a swathe of military commanders in what could be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran building an atomic weapon.

"These outrageous actions represent not only a grave violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity as a sovereign UN Member State, but also constitute acts of aggression and war crimes," Araghchi wrote.