NATO intercepts second Iranian ballistic missile over Turkey in one week

NATO air defenses intercepted a second Iranian ballistic missile over Turkey on March 9, 2026, five days after a first missile was shot down on March 4. Fragments from the second missile fell in empty fields near Gaziantep. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a firm warning to Iran to halt its "wrong and provocative steps." The sequential strikes on Turkey — a NATO member — raised Article 5 consultation pressure and marked the first time Iran directly targeted a NATO member with ballistic missiles.