ANKARA, March 13. /TASS/. Iran’s ambassador to Ankara, Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh, has emphasized that Iran bears no responsibility for the recent missile incidents in Turkish airspace and is currently awaiting the findings of a joint investigation.
"We respect Turkey's sovereignty," he stated. "Our Armed Forces, General Staff, and Foreign Ministry have previously issued statements denying any involvement in missile or ammunition attacks on Turkey. To clarify the situation and resolve any misunderstandings, we proposed establishing a technical team to thoroughly examine the incident. We remain uncertain about how this could have occurred. In our view, these actions may have been carried out by third parties, with the intent of damaging the friendly and fraternal relations between our countries. We have put forward this proposal and are now awaiting its implementation," Habibollahzadeh told the media in Ankara.
Regarding the regional military situation, the ambassador asserted that Iran has not initiated any attacks. "It is us who have been attacked," he declared. "While we were engaged in genuine and sincere negotiations - efforts supported by regional countries, especially Turkey - our country was subjected to aggression. The United States betrayed diplomacy. The attacks began when nuclear talks reached a technical stage. These negotiations were encouraged by regional partners, above all Turkey, and Iran participated in good faith."
He further stressed Iran’s right to self-defense. "We are defending ourselves legitimately. Even as I speak, Iran is under attack. These assaults target hospitals, infrastructure, and financial institutions, resulting in civilian casualties and loss of life," he said.
Earlier, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that NATO forces had intercepted and destroyed a third ballistic missile launched from Iran that had entered Turkish airspace over the Mediterranean since March 4.