NATO intercepts Iranian missile heading for Turkish airspace

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence says NATO air defences intercepted an Iranian missile heading for its airspace.

The missile passed over Iraq and Syria before NATO defences intercepted it.

The Turkish Ministry of Defence said:

A ballistic munition launched from Iran, which was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading towards Turkish airspace, was engaged in a timely manner by NATO air and missile defence assets stationed in the eastern Mediterranean and rendered inactive.

It also added that there were no casualties or injuries. However, it reserves the right to:

respond ⁠to any ⁠hostile actions against it while warning parties to refrain ‌from escalating the conflict.

Iran has been targeting US air bases across the Middle East, along with RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus — a UK military base.

In Turkiye, both US forces and NATO allies use Incirlik Air Base. It is under the control of the Turkish air force but operates as a joint Turkish-US airbase.

Incirlik base is located ​in an area neighbouring Hatay province, where Turkish authorities said debris from the intercepting NATO missile had fallen.

During US-led operations in Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War, Incirlik was a critical logistics and air support location.

When the US and UK invaded Iraq in 2003, Turkiye denied them the use of Incirlik. However, they used it for anti-ISIS strikes from 2014.

So far, Turkish officials have not mentioned NATO Article 4. It states that NATO allies will:

consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of ​a member is threatened.

Since NATO’s creation in 1949, it has invoked Article 4 nine times.

Israel’s next target a NATO member?

Previously, Naftali Bennett, former Prime Minister of Israel, said that once Israel is finished with Iran, it will be targeting Turkiye.

Given that Turkiye is a NATO member, it will be interesting to see if any Western leaders finally grow a backbone when it’s one of their own.

He also claimed that:

A new Turkish threat is emerging… And from here I warn: Turkey is the new Iran. Erdogan is sophisticated, dangerous, and he seeks to encircle Israel.

Already, Israel is lining up its next victim, while it’s still carpet bombing Gaza, Iran and Lebanon.

Since the interception, an anonymous Turkish official has claimed that the missile was aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus. However, it “veered off course”.

Israel will not stop — it has proven that to the world time and time again. Will NATO finally care when Israel bombs a country with more of a white population? Or will its members still turn the other way and keep funding Israel’s defence and military aid, while it carpet bombs black and brown people in Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and let’s face it — anywhere else Israel decides it wants to invade?

Feature image via Times Of India/YouTube