Nato defences intercept Iranian ballistic missile, Turkey says
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The news: Turkey said that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) air defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkey’s airspace on Wednesday.
The missile was identified after crossing Iraqi and Syrian airspace, before Nato air and missile defence units stationed in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted the missile.
Turkey’s defence ministry said via a post on X that fragments of the missile fell in Hatay’s Dörtyol district in south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border.
Responding to the strikes, Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said: “We condemn Iran’s targeting of Turkey. Nato stands firmly with all allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region. Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence.”
The context: The news comes after the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) ordered residents across southern Lebanon to move north of the Litani Rivier, around 40km from the border, as it claims to be targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in the area. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said at 2:30pm local time Wednesday (11:30pm AEDT) via X that the IDF has “begun launching a new wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon.”
As the conflict continued for its fifth day, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar reported that they had also intercepted multiple Iranian drones and ballistic missiles, while Saudi Arabia reported an attempted attack on Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura facility, the country’s largest refinery.
The death toll in Iran from the current conflict has climbed to 1,045 people as of Wednesday, a jump from the 787 people reported dead on Tuesday.
The sources: The Guardian, FT, Bloomberg, WSJ
