Türkiye said on Friday that a ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was “neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Anadolu news agency reported. 

“All necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country’s territory and airspace. Consultations are being conducted with the relevant country to clarify all aspects of the incident. All developments in the region are being closely monitored and assessed with national security as the foremost priority,” the Turkish Anadolu news agency reported citing a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry.

This is the third such incident since the war in Iran began.

NATO has confirmed that its air defenses shot down the first ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Türkiye on March 4, with a second intercepted on Monday. Later that day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian phoned President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and denied the missile had been fired from Iran.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he had arrived in Beirut on Friday for a “solidarity” visit to Lebanon, where Israel continues to deliver heavy strikes claiming to hit Hezbollah targets.

“I have just landed in Beirut for a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon. They did not choose this war. They were dragged into it. The UN & I will spare no effort in striving for the peaceful future that Lebanon & this region so richly deserve,” Guterres said on X.

Israel began a military campaign with a stated goal of targeting Hezbollah after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, which prompted Hezbollah to target Israel. Lebanese authorities say that nearly 690 people have been killed in the attacks. The Lebanese government said it would enforce a ban on Hezbollah’s military and security activities in the country, and called for direct talks between Hezbollah and Israel. The Lebanese president accused Hezbollah of dragging the country into war.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on Israel and Hezbollah to “stop the war” at the start of a visit to Beirut, saying it was “no longer the time of armed groups.”

“My strong appeal to those parties, to Hezbollah and to Israel, is for a ceasefire to stop the war and… allow Lebanon to become a country independent… where its authorities have the monopoly on use of force,” Guterres said.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has strongly condemned “a missile launch targeting the territory of Türkiye”.

In a statement, the ministry said, “We strongly condemn another rocket launch against the territory of brotherly Türkiye. This is a grave violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”We reiterate our solidarity with brotherly Türkiye,” the ministry added.

On March 12, during his visit to Brussels, the Minister of Defense of Armenia, Suren Papikyan, met with the Minister of Defense and Foreign Trade of Belgium, Theo Francken.

The ministers discussed the Armenia-Belgium cooperation in the defense sector, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a readout.

During the meeting, they emphasized the significant potential for developing cooperation in military education, professional training, military medicine, peacekeeping, humanitarian demining, and other areas, reaching an agreement to continue working on expanding collaboration.

Papikyan and Francken also discussed a number of issues related to international security.

On March 13, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan met with the EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius in Brussels, the Ministry of Defense reported.

“During the meeting, the possibilities and development prospects of cooperation in the defense sector, as well as a number of issues related to regional and international security were discussed,” the ministry said in a readout.

On March 13, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan met with the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Sean Clancy in Brussels, the ministry said.

During the meeting issues related to military education, exercises, involvement in missions within the framework of cooperation between the EU and the Republic of Armenia in the field of security and defence, as well as other questions of mutual interest were discussed.

The parties also discussed a number of issues related to regional and international security.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan met in New York with Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding and Peace Support.

According to the foreign ministry’s readout, the Armenian Deputy FM briefed the UN official on the latest regional developments, emphasizing the need to further consolidate and institutionalize peace in the South Caucasus.

The parties exchanged views on issues related to international peace and security, highlighting the role of peacekeeping in this context.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs also presented Armenia’s active involvement in UN and NATO peacekeeping missions in various regions around the world. He reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to supporting international efforts in the field of peacekeeping.

The officials stressed the importance of further deepening cooperation between Armenia and the UN, particularly within the framework of initiatives in peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and development.

The meeting also addressed the situation in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of its resolution and the promotion of regional stability.

Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan will lead a delegation to Türkiye from 16–19 April to participate in the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, which will be held in Istanbul.

The Speaker’s office reported on Friday that the delegation will include MP Sargis Khandanyan (Civil Contract), Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs; MP Tsovinar Vardanyan (Civil Contract), Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs; and MP Hasmik Hakobyan (Civil Contract).

National Academy of Sciences press release 

In 2026–2027, Armenia will host the large-scale science outreach events European Researchers’ Night and Researchers at Schools for the first time.

The “ERNA – European Researchers’ Night in Armenia” proposal submitted by the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) has succeeded the MSCA & Citizens 2025 Action organized by the European Commission.

The MSCA & Citizens 2025 call is implemented within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) program, which is part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe framework.

Out of 241 submitted proposals, 49 projects from 40 countries were selected. The European Commission allocated €16.3 million in funding for the implementation of these projects.

The ERNA project of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia will be implemented during 2026–2027 and will include two main program components:

1.      European Researchers’ Night

2.      Researchers at Schools

During these events, scientists, early-career researchers, and students will interact with citizens, school pupils, and young people, presenting the world of science through live experiments, demonstrations, public lectures, and interactive activities.

Following its moto “Science for Citizens, Citizens for Science: Building the Future by Confronting Challenges,” the ERNA project aims to:

promote direct dialogue between researchers and society, increase public awareness of science and innovation, present the role of scientists in modern society, strengthen young people’s interest in scientific and research careers.

The initiative is fully aligned with the functions assigned to the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia under the Law of the Republic of Armenia On Higher Education and Science. These functions include:

promoting the popularization and public communication of science, strengthening the scientific community and developing scientific expertise, expanding international cooperation in science and integrating Armenia into the European Research Area.

Through the implementation of the ERNA project, the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia not only represents the Armenian scientific community on the European stage but also fulfills its mission of bringing science closer to society, a responsibility assigned to the Academy by law.

The European Researchers’ Night initiative is held every year in hundreds of cities across Europe, attracting millions of visitors. In 2026 and 2027, this celebration of science will take place in Armenia for the first time, creating a new platform for active cooperation between science, education, and society.

This achievement is an important step toward a future where science is accessible to society, and where the younger generation sees science as a path for personal development and career opportunities.

The project partners are the Higher Education and Science Committee of MoESCS of RA, “Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center” Foundation, “Armbiotechnology” SPC, and Enterprise Incubator Foundation.