Turkey said that Nato air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile headed into Turkish airspace on Wednesday, marking the first time the alliance member has been drawn into the Middle East conflict and raising the possibility of a major expansion involving its bloc allies.

Turkey – Iran’s neighbour that had sought to mediate US-Iran talks before the air war that began at the weekend – warned “all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation,” suggesting it was not poised to call upon the trans-Atlantic defence bloc for support.

But Ankara could potentially invoke NATO’s Article 4 after the airspace breach if it deemed the threat serious enough, a step that could lead to the alliance’s Article 5, which would oblige members to come to its defence.

It was unclear where the missile was headed. A Nato spokesperson said it condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkey, which has the bloc’s second-largest military, and that it stood firmly with all allies.

The US has air forces stationed at southern Turkey’s Incirlik base, which is located in an area neighbouring Hatay province, where authorities said debris from the intercepting Nato missile had fallen.

The ministry said that it had been “determined that the ordnance fell in the Dortyol district of the Hatay province” of Turkey, which is located northeast of Cyprus’ Karpas peninsula.

As such, it appears to be the first time Turkey has been fired at since strikes began in the Middle East at the weekend, and could see Nato’s second-largest standing army become a party to an already widening conflict.

“Our resolve and capacity to ensure the security of our country and its citizens are at the highest level. While Turkey supports regional stability and peace, it is capable of ensuring the security of its territory, regardless of from whom or from where a threat may come,” the ministry said.

It added that “every step taken to defend our territory and airspace will be taken resolutely and without hesitation”, and that “we reserve the right to respond to any hostile attitude shown towards our country”.

“We urge all parties to refrain from actions which would further spread the context in the region. In this context, we will consult with Nato and our other allies,” it said.

The downing of the missile in the region comes hours after Turkey’s defence ministry had indicated that it may be bolstering its own military presence in Cyprus, posting a photograph of Turkish soldiers arriving at the north’s Ercan (Tymbou) airport to social media.

The photograph was accompanied with the caption “as calm as the sea, as resolute as a storm”, and its publication followed the confirmed arrival of a Turkish military transport aircraft at Ercan (Tymbou) on Wednesday morning.

Turkey’s announcement comes after two Greek F-16 fighter jets had been called into action earlier in the day when “suspicious objects”, widely believed to be Iranian-made Shahed one-way attack drones, were sighted heading towards Cyprus in the skies above Lebanon. The objects were intercepted by the Greek jets.

Greece has had four F-16 fighter jets stationed in Paphos since Monday, when Cyprus’ British Akrotiri air force base was hit by an Iranian-made drone, while two Greek frigates docked in Limassol on Wednesday.

Those frigates have been joined by a French frigate, with French President Emmanuel Macron having said on Tuesday night that the arrival of the Languedoc was expected imminently.

He also announced that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, alongside its “air assets” and frigate escort, would also be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the deployment of HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer warship, as well as two AW159 Wildcat helicopters, to Cyprus.