Iran has denied launching missiles toward Türkiye after three ballistic missiles fired from Iranian territory were intercepted by NATO air defenses this month, as Ankara seeks clarification over the incidents that rattled southern Türkiye.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had “no intention” of attacking Türkiye and rejected claims that Iranian missiles were directed at the country.
“Iran has no intention of attacking Türkiye,” Baghaei told Ihlas news agency on Monday. “We do not attack any neighboring country. Our defensive actions focus only on the sources of military attacks against Iran.”
NATO air defenses in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted a third ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Türkiye, the Defense Ministry said Friday, adding that it was asking Tehran for clarification.
The alliance had already shot down two other missiles on March 4 and March 9. Turkish officials said the first was intercepted before entering Turkish airspace, while the second had already crossed into it.
Authorities have not disclosed the intended target of the third missile, but an explosion was heard overnight near the Incirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana, according to witnesses and verified social media footage.
The base hosts U.S. forces along with Turkish and allied personnel. Ankara has said Washington has not used Incirlik in its air operations against Iran alongside Israel.
Baghaei rejected claims that missiles had been launched toward Türkiye or Azerbaijan, who reported four injured in its Nakhchivan exclave after four Iranian drones crossed its border on March 9.
“Allegations that missiles were fired from Iran toward Türkiye or Azerbaijan are false,” Baghaei insisted. “Iran’s armed forces are extremely careful in selecting targets. We target U.S. military bases and assets used to attack Iran.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that Ankara was discussing discrepancies between Tehran’s statements and technical evidence gathered from the launches.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Fidan said Turkish authorities possessed technical data regarding the missiles and were raising inconsistencies with Iranian officials.
Baghaei also suggested that “false flag” operations could be possible.
“Some malicious actors may attempt false flag operations to create disputes between Iran and neighboring countries,” he said.
Türkiye, which shares a border with Iran and fields NATO’s second-largest army, has stressed that it does not want to be drawn into the war between Iran, Israel and the United States.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Ankara was taking preventative measures to protect its airspace.
“Our main priority is to keep our country away from this pit of fire,” Erdoğan said.
Turkish authorities have lodged diplomatic protests with Tehran after each missile incident while maintaining contact to clarify what happened.
Following the second missile incident, the Iranian Embassy in Ankara reiterated that Iran had not targeted Türkiye and said Tehran respected Türkiye’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“It is emphasized that no projectiles have been launched from Iran toward Türkiye,” the embassy said in a statement posted on social media, adding that Tehran had proposed forming a joint investigative team following a call between the two countries’ presidents.
Turkish security sources said Ankara was acting cautiously to avoid escalating tensions but had delivered a clear message to Tehran to identify those responsible and prevent further incidents.
The Kürecik NATO radar base in southeastern Malatya province plays a key role in detecting missile threats in the region. NATO has reinforced ballistic missile defenses following the incidents and deployed a U.S. Patriot air defense system to strengthen protection around the facility.
