An emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has been convened amid rising tensions in the Middle East following the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Iran.

Iran, which is poised to retaliate against Israel, sought the understanding of other Islamic nations, saying it has no other choice but to use its right to self-defense.

The OIC has 57 members in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and elsewhere. The emergency foreign ministers meeting took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.

The gathering came after the death on July 31 of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, where he was visiting. Iran blames Israel for the killing.

Iran's Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri told participants that his country has no option but to exercise its right to legitimate self-defense.

He added that such action is necessary to prevent further violations of its sovereignty and will be carried out in a timely and appropriate manner.

Local media reported that while participants criticized Israel, they raised concerns about the current fighting developing into a wider regional conflict.

Meanwhile, the Lebanon-based Shia Muslim group Hezbollah has also vowed retaliation against Israel and continued to launch rockets into the country on Wednesday.

The Israeli military announced that it killed a Hezbollah unit commander in an airstrike.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, visited an Israeli Air Force base and said he sees peak readiness, both in offense and in defense.

He added Israel knows how to carry out a very rapid offensive anywhere in Lebanon, anywhere in Gaza, anywhere in the Middle East.