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The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization has condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran for violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the 6 Gulf states and Jordan
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Decision adopted on March 31, 2026, cites breach of Article 1 of the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, which guarantees state sovereignty over national airspace
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ICAO Council deplored Iran’s illegal use of unmanned aircraft systems (drones) for military purposes against civilian infrastructure in the affected states
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The decision references UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026) and relevant ICAO Assembly resolutions
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ICAO emphasized that Iran’s actions are inconsistent with the principles of the UN Charter
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Council highlighted the serious and ongoing risk to civil aviation safety posed by unauthorized military incursions into airspace
The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran for violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the six Gulf states and neighboring Jordan, including their airspaces, in breach of international aviation law.
ICAO in a news release announced that it adopted the condemnation on March 31, 2026, finding that Iran committed violations against the Middle East nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan — in direct contravention of Article 1 of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as the Chicago Convention, which guarantees each contracting state complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory.
The Canada-based council specifically deplored Iran’s illegal deployment of unmanned aircraft systems for military purposes against civilian infrastructure across the territories of the affected member states.
In its decision, the council invoked the purposes and principles of the Chicago Convention alongside UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026) and relevant ICAO Assembly resolutions, underscoring that Iran’s conduct is incompatible with the foundational principles of the United Nations Charter.
ICAO stressed the gravity of the situation for global aviation, warning that unauthorized military incursions into sovereign airspace pose a paramount risk to the safety and security of international civil aviation operations — a risk that has already occurred through route suspensions, airspace closures, and widespread flight disruptions affecting airlines worldwide.
The council called on Iran to immediately cease its “unlawful activities” and comply fully with its binding obligations under the Chicago Convention and all other applicable international civil aviation treaties to which it is a party.
