In a pivotal development reflecting the strength and cohesion of the international community, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, at its 237th session, adopted a strict and historic decision based on a joint working paper submitted by Jordan, Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt, and Morocco. The decision unequivocally condemns the unlawful attacks carried out by Iran, which have come to constitute a direct and serious threat to the safety of international civil aviation in the Middle East.
The ICAO Council condemned attacks carried out by Iran since 28 February 2026, through missiles and drones against the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the UAE), in addition to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as violation of the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) and the UN Charter. The decision stressed that these acts constitute a clear breach of Article 1 of the Chicago Convention, which guarantees the complete and exclusive sovereignty of every State over its airspace.
In a highly significant indication of the extent of Iranian recklessness, the Council deplored Iran’s illegal military use of unmanned aerial systems, in violation of Article 3(c) of the Convention, exposing vital international air corridors to catastrophic risk. This situation compelled the affected States to take emergency measures, including the closure of airspace and the rerouting of flights to protect the lives of passengers, resulting in widespread operational disruptions in global air transport.
The ICAO Council recalled UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which deplored the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects by Iran, including airports, and which determined that Iran’s attacks constitute a breach of international law. 
To translate this firm position into immediate and deterrent measures, the ICAO Council directed the adoption of a package of stringent actions:
    • Condemnation and demand for immediate cessation: Strong condemnation of the Islamic Republic of Iran for violating the sovereignty of the affected States and for jeopardizing the safety of civil aviation, and a call for it to urgently cease its unlawful acts. 
    • UN escalation: Referral of the text of this deterrent decision to the relevant United Nations bodies. 
    • Continuous oversight: Keeping this sensitive matter under continuous review. 
This historic decision sends an unequivocal message: the safety of international civil aviation and the sovereignty of States’ airspace are inviolable commitments, and the ICAO Council will not hesitate to activate all its legal instruments to protect the global aviation system from any reckless military thr