Iran’s Armed Forces have denied firing any missile towards Turkish territory, insisting that Iran respects the sovereignty of Turkiye, they said in a statement carried by state media.
The Iranian statement on Thursday comes after Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence said on Wednesday that a ballistic missile fired from Iran towards Turkish airspace after passing Syria and Iraq was destroyed by NATO air and missile defence systems over the eastern Mediterranean.
The ministry said there were no casualties or injuries, adding that Ankara reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions against it, while warning parties to refrain from escalating the conflict.
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan conveyed in a call to his Iranian counterpart Ankara’s protest.
NATO condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkiye, spokesperson Allison Hart said, adding that the organisation “stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkiye”.
UN Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was “no sense” that the destruction of the ballistic missile would trigger NATO’s Article 5 clause, which outlines that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all members.
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