Iran says Turkey made a mistake agreeing to deploy NATO missile shield

The Iranian Commander-in-Chief's Deputy Military Adviser, Major-General Yahya Rahim Safavi, has criticized Turkey over its decision to deploy a NATO missile defense system on its territory, saying that this decision is a mistake, RIA Novosti cites the Mehr news agency.

As Associated Press recently reported, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad previously claimed the defense system was intended to protect Israel against Iranian missile attacks in the event of a war breaking out with the Jewish state.

"The missile defense shield is aimed at defending the Zionist regime. They don't want to let our missiles land in the occupied territories (Israel) if one day they take action against us. That's why they put it there," Ahmadinejad said in an address to the nation on state TV late on Tuesday.