NATO air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched from Iran that was heading toward Turkish airspace after passing over Iraq and Syria, according to Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence.
Officials said the missile was detected while crossing regional airspace and was neutralized before it could reach Turkiye. Authorities have not confirmed what the missile’s intended target was.
“A ballistic munition launched from Iran, which was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading towards Turkish airspace, was engaged in a timely manner by NATO air and missile defence assets stationed in the eastern Mediterranean and rendered inactive,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The ministry reported no casualties or injuries from the interception. Ankara also warned that it reserves the right to respond to any hostile acts directed against the country and urged all sides to avoid actions that could further escalate the conflict.
Later in the evening, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the nation, saying the government was coordinating closely with NATO partners while taking steps to protect national security.
“If we, as a nation, want to live in peace and tranquility… we must constantly increase our deterrent capabilities. In these difficult times… we are leaving absolutely nothing to chance regarding the security of our borders and airspace,” he said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also raised the issue with Iran. Fidan spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to convey Ankara’s protest regarding the missile launch toward Turkish airspace.
US Anti-Missile Defense System
During the conversation, Fidan emphasized that steps that could widen the conflict should be avoided. Iran had not issued a public response regarding the incident at the time of reporting. NATO condemned the launch, with alliance spokesperson Allison Hart stating that the organization stands firmly with Turkiye.
“Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence,” Hart said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was “no sense” that the missile interception would trigger NATO’s Article 5 clause, which states that an attack on one member of the alliance is considered an attack on all members.
Turkiye hosts key NATO military facilities, including Incirlik Air Base. While the base is controlled by the Turkish Air Force, it operates jointly with the United States and other NATO allies.
Incirlik has served as a strategic hub in several major operations. It played an important role as a logistics and air support base during the 1991 Gulf War and later functioned as a cargo hub for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Although Turkiye denied U.S. forces permission to use the base during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it was later extensively used for air operations against ISIL beginning in 2014.
Separately in the eastern Mediterranean, authorities in Cyprus temporarily closed the airspace above Larnaca after detecting what they described as a suspicious object.
Security concerns on the island have increased following recent drone incidents. On Sunday, a drone believed to be Iranian-made caused minor damage at a United Kingdom military base in Cyprus, while two additional drones were shot down on Monday.
Greek forces also responded to the heightened tensions. Two Greek fighter jets were dispatched on Wednesday to intercept a suspected drone outside Cypriot airspace.
Greek naval vessels were also deployed near the island to assist in providing targeting information for two pairs of F-16 fighter jets sent by Greece to patrol the region.
Despite the heightened security measures, no additional strikes have occurred in the past couple of days.
“The one on Sunday night was the only one, but because there have been other drones headed towards Cyprus, it has been deemed necessary to send all possible means here to make sure that those drones continue to be downed offshore,” Al Jazeera correspondent John Psaropoulos reported.
