Ministry of Nationwide Defence says no casualties or harm after missile shot down over southern metropolis of Gaziantep.
Printed On 9 Mar 2026
The Turkish Ministry of Nationwide Defence says NATO air defences have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran in direction of Turkiye as issues develop that the United States-Israel war against Iran will escalate.
The missile was intercepted on Monday over the Sahinbey district of Gaziantep in southern Turkiye, the ministry stated in a press release. No casualties or harm had been reported.
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“Ankara emphasised its functionality and willpower to guard nationwide airspace and border safety, whereas warning that additional escalation within the area should be prevented,” the assertion stated.
The ministry additionally urged all sides, particularly Tehran, “to chorus from actions that might endanger civilians or undermine regional stability”.
Monday’s incident was the second time an Iranian ballistic missile was fired in direction of Turkiye because the US and Israel launched a warfare towards Iran on February 28, in line with native authorities.
The US-Israeli assaults have prompted a wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes throughout the broader area, together with on targets in Arab Gulf nations.
Iran didn’t instantly touch upon the Turkish ministry’s assertion.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed that the navy alliance had intercepted “a missile heading to Turkiye”. “NATO stands agency in its readiness to defend all Allies towards any menace,” Hart said in a publish on X.
Iran denied firing a ballistic missile in direction of Turkiye on Wednesday after Turkish authorities stated NATO air defences shot down a projectile over the Jap Mediterranean.
NATO condemned that launch, expressing its “full solidarity” with Turkiye.
“This can be a tangible demonstration of the Alliance’s potential to defend our populations towards all threats, together with these posed by ballistic missiles,” NATO said of the interception.
Article 5 of the alliance’s North Atlantic Treaty says an assault on one NATO nation will probably be thought-about an assault on all. It additionally commits every NATO member state to taking motion deemed obligatory “to revive and preserve” safety.
In an interview with the Reuters information company final week after the primary ballistic missile heading in direction of Turkiye was shot down, NATO chief Mark Rutte stated there was no discuss of invoking Article 5.
Iranian authorities have stated they’re firing at US navy bases and different US- and Israel-linked targets throughout the area in self-defence, however civilian infrastructure has additionally been attacked.
“Iran’s targets are usually not simply US bases; they’re, actually, primarily large-scale infrastructure and civilian targets as properly,” stated Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in defence research at King’s School London.
“This isn’t a mistake. That is by design,” Pinfold instructed Al Jazeera, explaining that Tehran is looking for to “unleash as a lot chaos as doable to destabilise the region and world markets” in an effort to pressure Washington to desert the warfare.
“We’ve seen that Iran is concentrating on each single [Gulf Cooperation Council] state. It’s ready to burn its bridges with all of them to pursue this very unsure and high-risk technique,” he stated.
“It actually exhibits you the way Iran feels prefer it’s going through an existential menace. For them, it is a actual do-or-die second.”
