For the first time since the beginning of the escalation in the Middle East, hostilities came close to the borders of the North Atlantic Alliance. The Turkish defense Ministry announced the interception of ballistic Rocketslaunched, as expected on the ground, from Iran. The ammunition overcame the airspace of Iraq and Syria and headed for Turkish territory.
Missile destroyed by forces Air Defense NATO stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean. The wreckage fell in the province of Hatay, there were no casualties and destruction, according to official data. The incident itself occurred against the backdrop of a large-scale operation of the United States and Israel against Iran, which has been ongoing since February 28.
The Erdogan administration said that Turkey reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions and will defend its airspace “without hesitation”. At the same time, the Turkish authorities called on all sides to de-escalate, stressing that the conflict should not spread beyond the region.
The situation is remarkable from several points of view. First, this is the first time that the presumably Iranian missile has reached the air borders of the NATO country. Whose it really is still to be found out.
Second, Turkey, which had previously tried to balance between Moscow, Tehran and the West, is now forced to respond directly to military operations in the region.
And, thirdly, the incident clearly demonstrates that the Middle East fire is increasingly pushed into adjacent territories, despite calls for restraint.
