The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation has condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran for violating the territorial integrity and sovereign airspace of several Middle Eastern countries, warning that the actions pose a serious risk to international aviation safety.
In a decision adopted on 31 March 2026, the council said through a statement that Iran breached the sovereignty of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, including their sovereign airspaces.
The council said the violations were contrary to Article 1 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which recognises the sovereignty of states over the airspace above their territories.
The aviation body also deplored Iran’s “illegal use of unmanned aircraft systems for military purposes against civilian infrastructure over the territories of the affected Member States.”
Recalling the purposes and principles of the Chicago Convention, the council referenced United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 as well as relevant resolutions of the ICAO Assembly, noting that such actions are inconsistent with the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The council further warned that unauthorised military incursions into airspace present a “serious and ongoing risk to the safety of civil aviation”, particularly as they disrupt normal civil flight operations across the region.
Princess Etuk is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over five years of experience covering national development and the economy. She focuses on public policy, infrastructure, agriculture, and related sectors, producing insightful features and exclusive reports. Princess’s work reflects a strong commitment to accountability journalism, sectoral development reporting, and informed public dialogue.
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