Children play around an unexploded missile that landed in an open field on the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria, on March 5, 2026. (AFP)
NATO said on March 5 it has strengthened its "ballistic missile defense posture," as Iran steps up its strikes across the Middle East with a missile launched at alliance-member Türkiye before being shot down.
"Yesterday... NATO increased its alliance-wide ballistic missile defense posture," alliance spokesman Colonel Martin O'Donnell said in a statement shared on social media.
The alliance's 32 member states concurred with NATO commanders during an ambassador-level meeting that the posture should remain at its "heightened level" until the threat from Iran's "indiscriminate attacks across the region" subsided, the spokesman said.
Details about the posture change could not be given for operational security reasons, O'Donnell added.
The spokesman confirmed however that the move came the same day as a "successful" NATO interception of a missile targeting Türkiye.
"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 defense systems and launched an interceptor to defeat the threat," he said.
O'Donnell declined to provide further details on the missile's target, citing security concerns.
Allies meeting in Brussels "again condemned Iran's targeting of Türkiye,” the statement said.
Iran's retaliatory strikes to U.S.-Israeli attacks have seen missiles and drones strike cities and infrastructure across the Middle East.
The Turkish Defense Ministry has said NATO's defense systems intercepted and neutralized "a ballistic missile fired from Iran and detected heading towards Türkiye,” but added no further details.
After the interception, debris fell in the southern city of Hatay's Dörtyol district.
“We once again emphasize that our right to respond to hostile actions, regardless of their origin, is reserved,” the source said.
