[US Defense Secretary: NATO Interception of Iranian Missile Will Not Trigger Collective Defense Clause] According to a report by Jinse Finance, the Turkish Ministry of Defense issued a statement on March 4 local time, stating that a ballistic missile launched from Iran, after traversing Iraqi and Syrian airspace, flew toward Turkish airspace. It was promptly detected and intercepted by NATO's air defense and missile defense system deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. At a press conference on the same day, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that there is currently no indication that this incident will trigger NATO's collective defense clause, which stipulates that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all member states. A NATO spokesperson condemned Iran's missile action targeting Turkey. Sources revealed that this marks the first time NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile heading toward the airspace of a member state since the outbreak of the current Middle East conflict. (CCTV News)