NATO intercepts fourth Iranian ‘ballistic’ missile in Turkish airspace

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iranian ballistic missile fired into Turkish airspace was intercepted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, Ankara’s defense ministry and the alliance confirmed on Monday, in an incident that marks the fourth of its kind since the beginning of the Iran war in late February.

In a statement on X, Ankara’s defense ministry said that “a ballistic munition, determined to have been launched from Iran and to have entered Turkish airspace, was neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

The ministry added that “all necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat to our country’s territory and airspace,” noting that developments in the region are being closely monitored with national security as a top priority.

Similarly, NATO Spokesperson Allison Hart said in a statement on X that the Alliance “successfully intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile heading to Türkiye,” underscoring the bloc’s readiness to counter such threats and its commitment to “always do what is necessary to defend all allies.”

The United States and Israel on February 28 launched a coordinated military campaign against Iran, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) reporting on Saturday that more than 11,000 targets across Iran have been struck so far.

In response, Tehran has carried out thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets in the region - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.

Since the onset of the war in late February, four incidents have been recorded in which Iranian missiles entered Turkish airspace or were intercepted near its borders.

These include a March 4 missile intercepted over Hatay province by US Navy assets and Spanish Patriot batteries. A second breach occurred over Gaziantep on March 9, prompting Ankara to issue a warning to Tehran over the violation of its airspace.

A third missile was intercepted near Adana on March 13, reportedly en route to the strategic Incirlik Air Base, leading Turkey to formally request additional Patriot missile systems from NATO allies.

Iran has previously maintained that these launches are not intentionally directed at Turkey, stressing its “respect for the country’s sovereignty.”

Nonetheless, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in mid-March that there is a “contradiction” between Iran’s denials and the technical radar data held by Ankara, which traces the ballistic trajectories back to launch sites within Iran.