Turkey announces interception of ballistic missile fired from Iran, the fourth since the start of the war

Turkey announced on Monday, March 30, the interception of a fourth missile launch against its territory, attributed to Iran by the Ministry of Defense. “A ballistic munition, identified as launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace, was neutralized by NATO’s anti-aircraft and missile defense means deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean”, the Ministry said in a statement.

Turkey, involved in mediation efforts to end the war, including negotiations with Pakistan and Egypt, intends to stay out of the conflict ongoing since February 28. “Preventing our country from being drawn into this fire is our number one priority,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said.

This is the fourth missile aimed at Turkey, a member of the Atlantic Alliance, since the beginning of the war in Iran, and none have reached Turkish soil, according to authorities. “All necessary measures are taken with determination and without hesitation against any threat to our country’s territory and airspace, and all developments in the region are closely monitored, giving top priority to our national security,” the Ministry affirmed.

The Iranian embassy in Turkey has denied all responsibility for Tehran, stating readiness to establish “a joint technical team” to investigate these incidents. However, Ankara announced last week the deployment by NATO of a new Patriot anti-aircraft battery at the Incirlik military base in the south of the country, home to American forces.