Turkey says NATO defenses intercepted fourth missile from Iran
Turkey said NATO air defenses neutralized a ballistic munition launched from Iran that entered its airspace, marking the fourth such interception since March.
ANKARA — NATO air defenses shot down a ballistic munition fired from Iran as it entered Turkish airspace, Turkey's Defense Ministry said Monday.
The interception was carried out by air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to a statement from the ministry.
The ministry did not provide details on the missile’s trajectory, type or intended target.
It said all necessary measures were being taken against threats to Turkey’s territory and airspace and that developments in the region were being closely monitored.
The incident marks the fourth time since March that a missile launched from Iran has been intercepted on its way to or within Turkish airspace, according to Turkish authorities.
The targeting comes as Turkey acts as an intermediary between the United States and Iran in a bid to find a path to deescalation in the war.
On Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan traveled to Islamabad for a four-country meeting with Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where talks focused on the US-Israel war with Iran, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing diplomatic sources.
Last week, Al-Monitor reported that the United States has proposed potential talks between Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — who has emerged as a key wartime figure — through intermediaries, though no meeting has taken place.
Speaking ahead of his visit to Pakistan, Fidan said indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran were underway, but cautioned that positions have hardened since the war began.
“It appears a certain stage has been reached in the negotiations; at the very least, talks have begun and messages are being conveyed through Pakistan,” Fidan told Turkey’s A Haber television. “The Americans are also coordinating this with us — we are in contact, and we are informing the Iranians as well.”
Monday’s interception came after NATO earlier this month deployed a Patriot missile defense system near Incirlik Air Base, a key hub hosting Turkish, US and other allied forces in southern Turkey, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.
The deployment marked the second reinforcement of NATO missile defenses in Turkey since the US-Israel-Iran war began Feb. 28. Turkish authorities say three Iranian ballistic missiles were intercepted near or inside Turkish airspace earlier this month — on March 4, March 9 over Gaziantep and March 13 near Incirlik — with no casualties or damage reported.
The incidents prompted Ankara to lodge a formal protest with Tehran. While Iran has denied responsibility, Turkish authorities say technical data indicates the missiles were launched from Iranian territory.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
