Khamenei blames Israel for missile strikes on Turkey and Oman

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

TEHRAN, IRAN — Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared that recent ballistic missile attacks targeting Turkey and Oman were not carried out by Iran or its allies, accusing Israel of orchestrating the strikes as a strategic deception.

In a televised message for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, Khamenei addressed the escalating regional crisis while remaining out of the public eye. He firmly denied any Iranian involvement in the projectiles that recently alarmed neighboring nations, labeling the incidents a deliberate maneuver by Israel to disrupt diplomatic ties between the Islamic Republic and its neighbors.

Nowruz message amid ongoing health rumors

According to DW Türkçe, expectations for a live video address from Khamenei were unmet. Instead, a text attributed to the Supreme Leader was read on state television, accompanied only by a photograph of him set against the Iranian flag.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since the outbreak of the war, leading to widespread speculation regarding his health and whereabouts. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently claimed that Khamenei was likely injured and had sustained facial damage. The Supreme Leader had previously announced that he lost his father, Ali Khamenei, along with his wife, sister, nephew, and brother-in-law in an Israeli airstrike on the first day of the conflict.

"Strikes are a trick by the Zionist enemy"

In his message, Khamenei claimed that the Iranian people had delivered a "stunning blow" to their adversaries in the ongoing war with Israel and the United States. He also took aim at US President Donald Trump, stating that the enemy had begun to utter "contradictory statements and nonsense" in the face of Iranian resolve.

Addressing the missile crisis directly, Khamenei emphasized that both Turkey and Oman maintain good relations with Iran, and he categorically denied responsibility for the recent airspace breaches:

"The attacks against Turkey and Oman were in no way carried out by the Iranian armed forces or the Resistance Front forces in the region. These actions, a trick by the Zionist enemy, are intended to create division between the Islamic Republic and its neighbors."

He further accused Israel of attempting to sow discord in the region and warned that similar provocations could occur in other countries.

NATO intercepts missiles near Turkish borders

The missile threat has directly impacted Turkey's southern borders since early March. On March 4, a missile reportedly fired from Iran crossed through Iraq and Syria before being intercepted by NATO air defense systems just outside Turkish airspace. Debris from the interceptor munitions fell in the Dörtyol district of Hatay.

This was followed by a similar incident on March 9, when another missile, also reportedly launched from Iran, was neutralized by NATO forces, with wreckage landing in an empty field in Gaziantep. Most recently, on March 13, NATO naval units deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean intercepted and destroyed a ballistic projectile fired from Iran. Following these critical incidents, the Tehran administration had repeatedly stated through various diplomatic channels that it had no involvement in the attacks.

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