Switzerland denies US military requests to use its airspace amid Iran war
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Switzerland denies US military requests to use its airspace amid Iran war")
A soldier walks up the steps of a US Airforce C-140 Military transport plane as it is unloaded on the tarmac of Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince on June 22, 2024. Photograph: (AFP)
Switzerland rejects US military request for reconnaissance flight linked to Iran war, citing neutrality law while permitting non-military transport flights.
The Swiss Federal Government on Sunday announced that it has rejected the request from the US military to use its airspace for a reconnaissance flight, citing its old policy of “neutrality”. It said that on March 15 (Sunday), it rejected two requests from the US military while accepting three others, two transport aircraft scheduled for March 15 and a maintenance-related flight planned for March 17, as they are not directly related to the war.
“Today, the Swiss government discussed military overflight requests from the US. Citing the law of neutrality, the Federal Council rejected two requests made in connection with the war in Iran. It decided to permit three flights,” read a post from the Swiss Federal Government on the social media platform X. It further added that the “law of neutrality prohibits overflights by the parties to the conflict that pursue a military purpose” related to the conflict. However, it allows humanitarian and medical transport for the wounded as well as those unrelated to the conflict.
The US naturally possess an annual permit for clearly designated aircraft, excluding the aircraft providing military support in the war between the US and Iran. The Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation( FOCA) in consultation with departments of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) decides the overflight requests, diplomatic clearance based on the Ordinance on the Protection of Air Sovereignty.
Since the start of the war between the US and Iran on February 28, CENTCOM has used Iran's neighbouring Gulf states as a base for its 'war of choice' on Iran. In response, Iran has heavily targeted military and civilian infrastructure that aids and hosts the US military in the region. The US and its allies are trying to claim moral superiority, portraying Iran as a bad actor for targeting its neighbouring states, while using those bases to carry out comprehensive aggression against Iran. The denial from the Swiss Government is an act of significant political importance, while maintaining neutrality. It is consistent with Switzerland's long-standing tradition codified in 1815, which denied involvement in the Kosovo war in 1999 and the Iraq invasion in 2003.
