NATO intercepts second Iranian ballistic missile over Turkish airspace

Turkey's defense ministry announced that a ballistic missile fired from Iran was intercepted in Turkish airspace by NATO air and missile defense assets in the eastern Mediterranean — the second such incident in five days. Fragments from the weapon fell in open territory in the southern Gaziantep area, causing no injuries. The incident mirrors a similar episode earlier in the war, when an Iranian missile entered Turkish airspace and was intercepted. Turkey has deployed 6 F-16s to northern Cyprus and has repeatedly warned Iran against violating its airspace. NATO Article 5 implications: while the alliance has not formally invoked collective defense, repeated Iranian ballistic missile overflight of a NATO member's territory creates significant escalatory pressure on the alliance to respond. Ankara has called for an emergency NATO consultation. The Gaziantep corridor appears to be the trajectory of choice for Iranian missiles aimed at the Eastern Mediterranean — passing over southeastern Turkey rather than taking longer routes.