NATO increases missile defence posture after Turkey incident

March 5, 2026 1:52 PM EST

Debris of a NATO air defence system that intercepted a missile launched from Iran is seen in Dortyol, in southern Hatay province, Turkey, March 4. Ihlas News Agency (IHA) via REUTERS

March 5 (Reuters) - NATO ‌has increased ​its ​alliance-wide ballistic missile defence posture following the intercept of a missile ‌from Iran targeted at Turkey, its military ⁠headquarters said on Thursday.

The posture will remain at ‌the heightened level until ‌the threat from Iran's "continued, indiscriminate attacks across the region subsides," Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson ​for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said in a post on ⁠X.

O'Donnell said NATO had "perfectly executed" its missile defence in Turkey ​on Wednesday.

"In less than 10 minutes, NATO service members identified a threat to ​allies, a ballistic missile, ‌confirmed its trajectory, alerted land- and sea-based missile defence systems and ⁠launched an interceptor to defeat the threat and protect our territory and its people," he ⁠said.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier on Thursday said ​the alliance does not plan to trigger its Article 5 mutual defence clause over the ballistic missile ‌attack, amid fears the alliance could become embroiled in the U.S.-Iran ‌war.

Rutte did not go into detail when ⁠asked about an ‌increased defence posture ​in the alliance.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer and Andrew Gray; Editing by Bill ‌Berkrot)



Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

You May Also Be Interested In





Related Categories

Reuters