Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Turkey announced that NATO air defense systems intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkish airspace, marking a significant escalation risk amid ongoing regional tensions.
According to Turkish media, including the state broadcaster TRT, authorities confirmed that a ballistic munition fired from Iran and tracked toward Turkish airspace was successfully neutralized.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said NATO units operating in the eastern Mediterranean carried out the interception after detecting the projectile heading toward Turkey’s airspace, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
In a parallel statement, the Turkish presidency affirmed Ankara’s determination to safeguard national security, saying the country has both the will and the capability to defend its territory and airspace and will take all necessary steps without hesitation.
Diplomatic contacts also followed the incident. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Ankara’s concerns to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi regarding the ballistic missile launch toward Turkish airspace, which was ultimately intercepted, TRT reported.
The reported launch represents the first such incident involving Turkey since the outbreak of the current confrontation between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. Several Gulf states have also recently reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones as regional military activity intensifies.
