NATO has increased its Alliance-wide ballistic missile defense posture, its European spokesperson confirmed on Thursday, in response to instability spreading from the Middle East following US-Israeli air strikes on Iran.
The killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, confirmed by Iran on Sunday, triggered retaliatory attacks from Iran – which hastargeted US military bases and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf.
“This immediate action was taken by the commander of NATO’s Air Command, who further recommended NATO’s ballistic missile defense posture remain at this heightened level until the threat from Iran’s continued indiscriminate attacks across the region subsides,” Colonel Martin L. O’Donnell said in a statement posted on X.
O’Donnell added that US General Alexus G. Grynkewich, who currently holds the position of NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, concurred with this recommendation.
O’Donnell pointed to NATO’s successful interception of an Iranian missile launched from Iran towards Turkish airspace on Wednesday as an example of the effectiveness of the alliance’s air defenses.
At a NATO meeting earlier on Thursday, he said, members of the alliance thanked Grynkewich for his “immediate and potentially life-saving response” to the incident.
“As the world witnessed yesterday, NATO perfectly executed its ballistic missile defense procedures,” he said.
“In less than 10 minutes, NATO service members identified a threat to Allies, a ballistic missile, confirmed its trajectory, alerted land- and sea-based missile defense systems, and launched an interceptor to defeat the threat and defend our territory and its people. That is real strength!”