NATO has condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkey, Spokesperson Allison Hart said, adding that the organisation “stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkey.”
Hart said that NATO’s deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence.
This comes after Turkish Ministry of National Defence said that a ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading into Turkish airspace after passing over Syria and Iraq has been destroyed by NATO air defence systems. It was not clear where the missile was aimed.
Turkiye’s Defence Ministry said that the intercepted missile fell over the Dortyol district near the Mediterranean coast.
“A ballistic munition launched from Iran, which was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading t.owards Turkish airspace, was engaged in a timely manner by NATO air and missile defence assets stationed in the eastern Mediterranean and rendered inactive.”
Turkish Ministry of National Defence
The ministry said in a statement that there were no casualties or injuries, adding that Ankara reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions against it while warning parties to refrain from escalating the conflict.
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan conveyed in a call to his Iranian counterpart Ankara’s protest over a ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace.
During the call, Fidan also told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that any steps that could further widen the conflict must be avoided.
Separately on Wednesday, also in the eastern Mediterranean, authorities in Cyprus closed the airspace above Larnaca after detecting what they said was a suspicious object.
On Sunday, an Iranian-made drone caused minor damage at a United Kingdom military base on the island. Another two drones were shot down on Monday.
It was reported that two Greek jets took off on Wednesday to shoot down a suspected drone just outside Cyprus’ airspace.
It added that Greek frigates are also circling the waters around Cyprus to help provide targeting coordinates for two pairs of F-16s sent here by Greece that they’re supposed to operate in tandem.
The security situation in the country remained tense despite no strikes having taken place in the past couple of days.
According to a military spokesperson, Iran’s armed forces threatened to target Israeli missions worldwide if Israel attacks Tehran’s mission in Lebanon.
Abolfazl Shekarchi, Spokesperson of the Iranian armed forces, said live on television, “If Israel commits such a crime, it will force us to make all Israeli embassies around the world our legitimate target.”
Iranian President Tells Gulf Nations Tehran Had ‘No Choice’ But To Attack
President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed Iran’s neighbouring countries, saying that Iran sought to avert war through diplomacy, but US-Israel attacks left it “with no choice” but to retaliate.“We respect your sovereignty,” the President said in two separate posts in Arabic and Persian on X.
He added that Iran believes security in the region must be achieved through a collective effort.
His comments came after Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani spoke over the phone with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who rejected claims that Tehran targeted only US interests in the country.
According to a statement, during the call, the Qatari Prime Minister stressed that “the facts on the ground clearly show that the attacks struck civilian and residential areas inside the State of Qatar, including the vicinity of Hamad International Airport, vital infrastructure, and industrial zones housing liquefied natural gas production facilities.”
It added that these acts “constitute a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and of the principles of international law.”
During the call, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told Iran’s Abbas Araghchi that the Iranian attacks reflect an escalatory approach by the Iranian side and demonstrate no genuine desire for de-escalation or resolution, but rather an intent to harm its neighbours and drag them into a war that is not theirs.
The Qatari Prime Minister said that such attacks reveal no goodwill on Iran’s part towards its neighbors.
Sheikh Mohammed also called for the immediate cessation of the attacks against neighbouring states that have kept themselves away from the war.
He added that while Qatar favours diplomacy, it will confront any aggression that affects its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, or national interests, affirming that these attacks cannot go unanswered in accordance with its right to self-defence.
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