NATO Defences Destroy Missile Fired From Iran Over Mediterranean

Turkish Ministry of National Defence Reports Destruction of Ballistic Missile

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, according to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence. The ministry stated that the missile was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading towards Turkish airspace before being engaged in a timely manner by NATO assets stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.

The ministry reported no casualties or injuries resulting from the incident. Ankara reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions against it, while warning parties to refrain from escalating the conflict. A call was made between Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart, during which Fidan conveyed Ankara’s protest over the ballistic missile.

NATO condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkey, with spokesperson Allison Hart stating that the organisation “stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkey”. The statement also highlighted NATO’s deterrence and defence posture across all domains. Incirlik Air Base in Turkey is used by foreign military forces, primarily the US and other NATO allies.

Separately, authorities in Cyprus closed their airspace above Larnaca after detecting a suspicious object. On Sunday, an Iranian-made drone caused minor damage at a UK military base on the island, while two drones were shot down on Monday. Greek jets took off to shoot down a suspected drone outside Cyprus’ airspace, with Greek frigates circling the waters around the island to provide targeting coordinates for F-16s sent by Greece.

Source: Al Jazeera