Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel two days ago was “legitimate”, AFP reports.

The leader of Malaysia urged Israel “not to take any further retaliation that will aggravate tensions in the Middle East”.

“The launching of the drones by Iran is a legitimate act following the barbarous attack by the Israeli Zionist regime against the Iranian embassy in Damascus,” Anwar said in a statement, referring to the deadly April 1 strike on Tehran’s consulate in the Syrian capital that has been widely blamed on Israel.

The statement was issued after Anwar chaired a meeting of Malaysia’s National Security Council to discuss soaring tensions in the Middle East.