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A ballistic missile fired from Iran and en route towards Turkish airspace was intercepted and destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday, in an incident that underscored fears of a widening regional war.
By: FRANCE 24 NATO member Greece deployed Greek frigate Kimon seen off the coast of Limassol, Cyprus, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, as the US-Israeli war on Iran intensifies. © Petros Karadjias, AP A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday.
The defence ministry said it had been "engaged and neutralised by NATO air-and-missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean".
Officials said fragments that fell in the Dortyol district in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border, had been identified as pieces of the interceptor used to neutralise "the threat in the air".
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"NATO stands firmly with all allies, including Turkiye, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region," NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said, using Turkey's official name.
"Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence."
Ankara summoned Iranian ambassador to convey "our reaction and concerns" over the incident while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Tehran against steps that could widen the conflict, a diplomatic source said.
Fidan told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that "any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict should be avoided", the source added.
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Turkey, a majority Sunni Muslim NATO member, shares a 500-kilometre (315-mile) border with Iran.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who maintains good relations with US President Donald Trump despite his frequent criticism of Israel, has insisted that the US-Israeli strikes on Saturday – which sparked the war and prompted Tehran's retaliation – were "illegal".
In an interview late Tuesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also criticised Iran's indiscriminate retaliatory strikes across Gulf states, calling them the "wrong strategy".
"The underlying strategy seems to be: 'If I am going to sink, I will take the region down with me'," Fidan added.
Analysts say the trajectory of the Iranian missile and its destruction by NATO systems further raises the stakes for a widening regional war, even if there is no clear evidence Iran intended to strike Turkey.
"Turkey will not want to become embroiled in the US-Israel attack on Iran, which it has criticised, but if Iran launches more missiles clearly aimed at targets on Turkish territory, Ankara will consider its own direct retaliation," said Hamish Kinnear of risk-intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
The defence ministry said "any steps necessary to defend our territory and airspace will be taken decisively and without hesitation".
"We reiterate that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions directed at our country," it added.
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