The Group of Seven countries considered Sunday imposing sanctions on Iran for its weekend missile and drone attack targeting Israel.
G7 member states "unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran's direct and unprecedented attack against Israel," they said in a statement released after their leaders held emergency online talks.
Several G7 countries proposed that the Revolutionary Guard Corps., Iran's armed forces, be designated as a terrorist organization, a senior U.S. official said.
At Israel's request, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the attack.
The Israeli military said Iran launched 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles from Saturday evening to the following morning and that almost all were intercepted, though light damage was inflicted on a military base in southern Israel.
The attack followed a recent strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria which left seven Iranian officials dead.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in a statement Sunday that the attack has "taught a lesson" to Israel. He warned Israel and the United States to refrain from retaliation, saying if Israel or its supporters "show perverse behavior, they will receive a decisive and far more violent response."
The G7, made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union, expressed "full solidarity and support to Israel."
"Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation," the G7 statement said, adding that "we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives" by Iran and its proxies.
Related coverage:
Japan PM strongly condemns Iran attack on Israel, conflict escalation
Iran launches retaliatory attack on Israel with drones, missiles
Japan to resume funding for U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA
