The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran towards Turkey, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, which increases the risk of more direct involvement of the military alliance in the conflict in the Middle East, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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This followed a similar interception on March 4, after which NATO announced the strengthening of its missile defense system in the region.
Debris from the munition landed in Gaziantep province in southern Turkey, "approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the Incirlik Air Base — where hundreds of US military personnel are stationed and where US nuclear weapons are widely believed to be stored — and about 200 kilometers from an advanced NATO radar system in Kurecik used to support Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile systems".
Ankara does not allow its bases or airspace to be used for strikes against Iran. After the first attempted attack on Turkey, it also warned Tehran against actions that could further expand the conflict.
As Turkish territory has been attacked again, it will likely face pressure to respond more decisively to Iran, the publication writes.
Tehran's calculations have become more difficult to predict after several high-ranking Iranian commanders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, were killed in the initial US and Israeli strikes, which led to operational decision-making being transferred to lower-ranking officers, as stated by Turkish authorities.
The March 4 interception occurred in an area near Incirlik Air Base.
More than a decade ago, Iranian officials warned that Tehran could strike NATO missile defense facilities in Turkey if it were attacked by the US or Israel. At the time, Tehran said that the early warning radar system in Kurecik was designed to protect Israel from Iranian missile threats. This facility, located approximately 700 kilometers west of the Turkish-Iranian border, is a critical component of the military alliance's missile defense system, the publication writes.
Iran denies missile launch towards Turkey after NATO interception05.03.26, 09:43 • [views_5873]