NATO said Thursday it strengthened its ballistic missile defence posture as tensions escalated following Iran’s expanding missile and drone strikes across the Middle East.
The move came after a ballistic missile launched from Iran was intercepted before reaching Turkey, raising alarm across the alliance’s 32 member states.
NATO spokesman Martin O’Donnell said the alliance raised its defence posture after consultations between ambassadors and military commanders in Brussels.
He said member states agreed the alliance should maintain a heightened defensive stance until the threat from Iran’s regional attacks subsides.
O’Donnell said operational details about the new defence posture could not be disclosed because of security considerations.
He confirmed that NATO forces successfully intercepted a missile on the same day it was detected heading toward Turkey.
“Within less than ten minutes, NATO service members identified the threat, confirmed its trajectory, alerted defence systems and launched an interceptor,” O’Donnell said.
The missile was neutralised before reaching its target, demonstrating the alliance’s integrated land and sea-based missile defence network.
Allies meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels again condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkey, according to the alliance statement.
Iran has intensified retaliatory strikes after attacks by the United States and Israel, hitting cities and infrastructure across the region.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry separately confirmed that NATO defence systems detected and intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Turkish territory.
However, a Turkish official speaking anonymously disputed NATO’s claim about the missile’s intended target.
The official said the missile had been aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but appeared to veer off course before interception.
O’Donnell declined to clarify the missile’s target further, citing operational security concerns amid the volatile regional conflict.