Ankara,(Parliament Times):
A second ballistic missile launched from Iran was intercepted in Turkish airspace by NATO defence systems on Monday, marking the second such incident within five days as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East.
According to Turkey’s defence ministry, the missile entered Turkish airspace before being neutralised by NATO’s air and missile defence assets in the eastern Mediterranean. The alliance later confirmed the interception and reiterated its readiness to defend member states against any potential threat.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said the alliance had once again intercepted a missile heading toward Turkiye and stressed that NATO remained fully prepared to protect its allies.
Turkey has largely remained outside the direct line of conflict despite hosting US forces at several bases, including the strategically significant Incirlik airbase located about 10 kilometres from the southern city of Adana.
Officials said fragments of the intercepted missile fell in an open area near the Guneysehir district of Gaziantep, roughly 200 kilometres east of Adana. Authorities reported that the debris landed near a housing estate but caused no casualties or damage.
Turkish presidential communications chief Burhanettin Duran warned that Ankara would firmly safeguard its airspace and border security, urging all parties—particularly Iran—to avoid actions that could threaten regional stability or endanger civilians.
The latest interception comes after NATO forces downed another Iran-launched missile headed toward Turkey on March 4, prompting the alliance to reinforce its ballistic missile defence posture in the region. Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said Spanish troops operating a Patriot missile battery at Incirlik had detected and reported the earlier missile launch.
Meanwhile, global concerns over the widening conflict continued to grow. European Union Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis warned that a prolonged war in the Middle East could trigger a major inflationary shock for both the global and European economies due to rising energy prices and disruptions to maritime trade and Gulf energy infrastructure.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged unwavering support to Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, following the death of his predecessor in US-Israeli strikes. Putin described Russia as a reliable partner for Tehran during a time of heightened confrontation.
Iran’s foreign ministry, however, denied launching attacks against neighbouring countries including Turkey, Cyprus, and Azerbaijan. Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei suggested that some incidents might have been staged to create tensions between Iran and regional states.
At the same time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had carried out a major offensive against a US helicopter base in Kuwait, targeting multiple facilities with drones and cruise missiles. The group said several installations, including fuel tanks and logistics infrastructure, were destroyed.
Israel also announced a new wave of large-scale strikes targeting locations in Tehran, Isfahan, and southern Iran as the conflict intensified.
The humanitarian toll of the broader regional conflict continues to mount. UNICEF reported that at least 83 children have been killed and 254 injured in Lebanon during the past week as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated, forcing nearly 700,000 people to flee their homes.
Amid the deteriorating security situation, the United States ordered non-essential staff and their families to leave its consulate in Adana and urged American citizens in southeast Turkey to depart the region due to rising security risks.