“Turkey was not the target”: where the Iranian missile shot down by NATO should have ended up, in fact
A ballistic missile launched from Iran that was heading east of the Mediterranean and was intercepted by NATO air defense systems would have had a different target than Turkey, a Turkish official says, quoted by AFP.
Fidan says actions that could expand the conflict must be avoided. PHOTO FB Hakan Fidan
The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that the projectile, which had crossed Iraq and Syria, was “engaged and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean”.
The authorities did not indicate the exact target of the missile, reports the news agency, picked up by France 24.
Turkey “it was not the target of the missile” launched by Iran, a Turkish official told AFP on condition of anonymity, stating that the ballistic missile was initially headed for a military base in Cyprus but deviated from its trajectory.
Fragments that fell in the Dortyol district of southern Turkey, close to the border with Syria, were identified as belonging to the interceptor used to eliminate the “aerial threat”. No casualties were reported.
NATO reaction
The incident was strongly condemned by the Alliance.
“NATO stands with all allies, including Turkey, in the context of Iran's indiscriminate attacks in the region”spokeswoman Allison Hart said.
She stressed that NATO's deterrence and defense posture “remains strong in all areas, including air and missile defense.”
Ankara summoned Iran's ambassador to convey “rreaction and concerns” his, said diplomatic sources. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed to his Iranian counterpart, in a telephone conversation, that “any actions that could expand the conflict must be avoided.”
Ankara between Washington, Tehran and Tel Aviv: “There seems to be logic: “If I sink, I drag the region after me””
Turkey, a majority Sunni NATO member, shares a 500-kilometer border with Iran. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who maintains cordial relations with US President Donald Trump but is a frequent critic of Israel, described Saturday's US-Israeli strikes – which sparked the current conflict and provoked Tehran's retaliation – as “illegal”.
The head of Turkish diplomacy also criticized the Iranian strikes on the Gulf states, which he described as “a wrong strategy“.
“There seems to be a logic: 'If I sink, I drag the region with me'”, said Fidan.
The risk of expanding the conflict
Analysts warn that the trajectory of the Iranian missile and its interception by NATO heightens the risk of a regional escalation, even though there is no clear evidence that Turkey was the target.
“Turkey does not want to be drawn into the US-Israeli attack on Iran, which it has criticized. But if Iran launches missiles clearly aimed at Turkish territory, Ankara will consider direct retaliation”said Hamish Kinnear, analyst at Verisk Maplecroft.
The Ministry of Defense in Ankara reported that “any measures necessary to defend our territory and airspace will be taken firmly and without hesitation” and reiterated that Turkey “reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions“.
