ICAO Council Condemns Iranian Attacks on Regional Airspace, Affirms Violation of Chicago Convention and State Sovereignty

2026-04-05T14:49:27.609Z

During its 237th session, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization condemned Iranian attacks with missiles and unmanned aircraft on a number of regional countries, considering them a violation of the Chicago Convention and the principle of states' sovereignty over their airspace, a direct threat to the safety of air navigation, and demanded their immediate cessation and referral of the decision to relevant United Nations bodies.

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), during its sixth meeting as part of its 237th session, condemned the attacks launched by Iran on a number of regional countries, based on a joint working paper submitted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Kingdom of Morocco, dated March 19, 2026; a step reflecting a firm international stance towards threats affecting the safety and security of civil aviation.

The decision clarified that the attacks carried out by Iran since February 28, 2026, using missiles and unmanned aircraft, constitute a clear violation of the International Civil Aviation Convention (Chicago Convention of 1944) and the principle of full sovereignty of states over their airspace, referring to what was included in Security Council Resolution No. (2817) issued on March 11, 2026, in this regard, which condemned Iranian attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The Council indicated that these attacks have caused serious risks to civil aviation traffic, as a result of the intersection of projectile trajectories with flight corridors without issuing the necessary navigation notices; which forced the affected countries to take precautionary measures including closing parts of their airspace and diverting flight paths, and the resulting operational impacts on international air transport traffic.

The Council also condemned the targeting of civilian objects and airports, affirming that this constitutes a violation of international law and a threat to international peace and security. The decision included a number of measures, most notably: condemning the attacks and demanding their immediate cessation, referring the text of the decision to relevant United Nations bodies, informing member states, and following up on developments to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

For his part, the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to the Council of the Organization, Engineer Mohammed bin Sami Habib, affirmed that the Kingdom is not a party to the ongoing conflict and has called since its inception for calm, non-escalation, and prioritizing diplomatic solutions, noting that Security Council Resolution No. (2817) reflects the international community's awareness of the scale of threats facing the security and stability of the region.

The Kingdom's delegate reiterated Saudi Arabia's condemnation in the strongest terms of the attacks that targeted airspace and civil aviation infrastructure, stating that they represent a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and the International Civil Aviation Convention, and a direct threat to the safety of air navigation, calling on Iran to immediately and unconditionally cease these practices.

He concluded his statement by affirming the Kingdom's full commitment to the Chicago Convention, its continued support for the smooth flow of air traffic in cooperation with sister states and the organization, with the readiness of its airspace and airports, and its contribution to supporting air carriers and facilitating evacuation flights in accordance with the highest safety standards, stressing the importance of all states' compliance with the provisions of the Convention and not using civil aviation for purposes other than those for which it was intended.