Turkiye said that NATO air defences destroyed a ballistic missile fired from Iran as it headed into Turkish airspace on Wednesday, marking the first time the alliance member has been drawn into the expanding Middle East conflict.
It was unclear where the missile was headed, but a NATO spokesperson said the trans-Atlantic defence bloc condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkiye and that it stood firmly with all allies.
The Turkish defense ministry said the missile had passed over Iraq and Syria before it was downed by NATO air and missile defense systems stationed in the eastern Mediterranean. There was no immediate comment from the United States, which has air forces stationed at Incirlik base in Turkiye’s south.