Turkish officials said Wednesday that a missile launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace was intercepted and destroyed by NATO air defence systems.
“A ballistic munition launched from Iran, detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading toward Turkey, was engaged in a timely manner by NATO air and missile defence assets in the eastern Mediterranean and rendered inactive,” the Turkish defence ministry said in a statement.
Fragments from the destroyed missile fell in the Dortyol district of Hatay province. The ministry confirmed they came from the air defence system and said there were no casualties.
“Any steps necessary to defend our territory and airspace will be taken decisively and without hesitation,” the ministry said, adding that Turkey reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions.
Following the incident, Turkey warned Tehran against measures that could escalate regional conflict.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that “any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict should be avoided,” according to a ministry source, cited by AFP.
Regional escalation
The incident comes amid a dramatic escalation among Iran, Israel and the United States.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the US announced coordinated strikes against Iran under the operation names “Roar of the Lion” and “Epic Fury.”
Multiple explosions were reported in Tehran and other major cities. The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in a strike on his residence.
The deaths of Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and senior security official Ali Shamkhani were also reported by Iranian state media.
In response, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel and targeted US military bases across the Gulf, including in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Explosions were reported in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. Israel later struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
The White House said 49 senior Iranian regime figures were killed during Operation Epic Fury.