ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday discussed the latest situation in the Middle East and a neutralized missile that had been directed toward Turkish airspace from Iran.

Fidan and Rubio talked over the phone, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

A ballistic munition fired from Iran and directed toward Turkish airspace on Wednesday was intercepted and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense units in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said earlier.

The ministry said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal that the projectile, detected after passing through Iraq and Syria, was successfully engaged by air defenses.

Since Saturday, joint US-Israeli strikes have reportedly killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries.