In a statement published by Iranian state media on Thursday, the Iranian Armed Forces affirmed their respect for Turkey's sovereignty and denied launching any missiles toward its territory.
اضافة اعلان
The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated on Wednesday that NATO air and missile defense systems destroyed a ballistic missile over the Eastern Mediterranean. According to the ministry, the missile was launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace and passed over Syria and Iraq.
The ministry added in a statement that the incident resulted in no casualties or injuries. It noted that while Turkey reserves the right to respond to any hostile act, it simultaneously calls on all concerned parties to refrain from any steps that would escalate the situation.
Turkey warned Iran against any actions that could lead to an expansion of the war. A source at the Foreign Ministry reported that Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized to his Iranian counterpart during a phone call the "necessity of avoiding any steps that would lead to broadening the scope of the conflict."
Israel and the United States have been conducting airstrikes on Iran since Saturday, which led to the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Since then, Tehran has retaliated by striking Israel and regional countries with missiles and drones.
Iran has also implemented a naval blockade on vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz, targeting oil tankers attempting to cross. On Sunday, Hezbollah launched several rockets from Lebanon targeting northern Israel in response to Khamenei’s assassination, dragging Lebanon into an open war with Israel, which has carried out devastating raids on southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Reuters
