Brussels, March 04 (QNA) – NATO has condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkiye, reaffirming its support for all member states amid rising regional tensions.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said on Wednesday the alliance “strongly condemns Iran’s targeting of Turkiye and stands firmly with all allies, including Turkiye, at a time when Iran continues what she called indiscriminate attacks in the region”.

She added that NATO’s deterrence and defense posture remains strong across all domains, including air and missile defense.

Earlier in the day, Turkiye’s defense ministry announced that it had intercepted a ballistic missile headed towards Turkish airspace from Iran. The ministry said the missile was neutralized in a timely manner by NATO air and missile defense units deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.

Ankara has said it reserves the right to respond to the incident, stressing that it remains in close coordination with NATO and other allied countries.

The exchange marks a further escalation in tensions between Iran and several countries in the region, raising concerns among Western allies about the risk of a wider confrontation. (QNA)