NATO intercepts Iranian missile headed for Turkey as war widens across region

According to the ministry, the missile was detected after it crossed Iraqi and Syrian airspace before being neutralised at sea.

No casualties or damage were reported.

In a statement, Turkey warned that it “reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions” against it and urged all parties to avoid steps that could further escalate the widening regional conflict.

A NATO member and majority Sunni-Muslim nation, Turkey shares a 500-kilometre border with Iran. Until now, Ankara had largely avoided being directly drawn into the hostilities, even as Tehran targeted Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf states hosting US bases.

Conflict expands

The interception comes five days into a war that US President Donald Trump suggested could last several weeks or longer. Nearly 800 people have reportedly been killed in Iran since the conflict began.

The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Saturday that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several top military officials, dramatically escalating tensions in the region.

Tehran has since retaliated with drones and missiles aimed at Israeli territory and US-linked targets across the Middle East, including bases in Gulf nations.

Israel has also struck Iranian-backed Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, further widening the theatre of operations.

Ankara’s delicate position

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a key regional powerbroker, had earlier expressed sorrow over Khamenei’s death while simultaneously urging restraint.

Ankara had for weeks called on Washington and Tehran to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme through negotiations, warning that the region could not withstand another prolonged conflict.

Turkey’s foreign minister on Tuesday said the United States should limit its military action to degrading Iran’s capabilities, cautioning that any attempt at regime change would pose serious risks for regional stability.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed that one of its F-35 stealth fighter jets shot down an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 trainer aircraft over Tehran.

It also reported activating air defence systems to intercept additional Iranian missiles, with explosions heard around Jerusalem.

The destruction of the missile headed toward Turkey marks a significant moment in the conflict, underscoring how rapidly the war’s geographic scope is expanding — and how easily more regional players could be pulled into the confrontation.