NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said the alliance does not currently see a need to invoke NATO's collective defence clause after air defences intercepted a ballistic missile heading toward Turkey.
Turkish authorities reported that NATO air defences destroyed the missile as it approached Turkish airspace, marking the first time the alliance has been directly drawn into the escalating conflict involving Iran.
"Nobody's talking about Article 5," Rutte said, referring to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all. Instead, he stressed that the incident demonstrates the alliance's readiness and vigilance.
Iran's armed forces denied launching missiles toward Turkey, saying the country respects the sovereignty of what it described as a "friendly" nation...