A senior official of US President Joe Biden's administration says the United States "would not be part of any" Israeli response to Iran's attack on Israel.

The official, speaking to reporters on Sunday, said Israelis are looking to protect and defend themselves.

The official said Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a teleconference on Saturday that the US will help defend Israel.

But the official also said the president told Netanyahu that "we do have to think carefully and strategically about" risks of escalation in the conflict.

Iran says it informed its neighbors and other countries of the operation against Israel about 72 hours in advance.

Another senior US official denied the claim by Iran. The official accused Tehran of not notifying the US of the attack, and having a clear intention to "destroy and to cause casualties."

The official said US navy ships operating in the eastern Mediterranean destroyed between four and six Iranian ballistic missiles during the Iranian attack.

The official also said US alert aircraft in the region shot down more than 70 drones, and the US Army's Patriot air defense system intercepted one ballistic missile assessed to be headed toward Israel.