Iran has declared plans to retaliate against Israel for killing a Hamas leader, but a crucial question looms: Can they legally shoot missiles and drones over other countries to strike Israel? Iran’s recent missile attacks on Israel would require passing through Iraqi and Jordanian airspace, needing their permission. Historically, countries control their airspace and can block such actions, which could spark a major regional clash. Jordan has already shown strong objections to the unauthorized use of its airspace, warning that it might defend itself against Iranian drones. This complex situation highlights ongoing tensions and the delicate balance of international airspace laws.
Iran has said it might respond with military action against Israel because of the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a key Hamas leader, in Tehran. This raises an important question: Can Iran legally send missiles and drones over other countries to strike Israel?
Here’s the situation: Recently, Iran has carried out military actions in nearby countries like Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan. But on April 13, Iran did something new—it fired missiles and drones directly at Israel from Iranian soil.
In past attacks on nearby countries, Iran’s missiles and drones didn’t fly through other countries’ airspace; they went straight from Iran to their targets. However, in some cases, Iranian missiles did fly over Iraq when targeting locations in Syria. This suggests Iran might have had some sort of agreement with Iraq, although it was probably not officially sanctioned since the targets were ISIS positions.
For the recent attack on Israel, Iranian missiles and drones would have had to travel through the airspace of both Iraq and Jordan to reach Israel. This means Iran would need permission from both countries. Typically, if a country allows its airspace to be used for such attacks, it could be seen as supporting the attacker. This is why neighboring countries usually refuse to let their airspace be used for attacks against Iran.
A historical example comes from World War I, when Switzerland, staying neutral, stopped warring nations from flying through its airspace. This established an important principle that nations control their airspace, a principle that remains relevant today.
In the case of Iran’s attack on Israel, Iraq did not make a clear statement about whether it allowed the attack. However, Jordan and its allies strongly opposed the Iranian action. This led to warnings from Iranian sources that Jordan might be targeted if it supported Israel in future conflicts. Using Jordanian airspace without permission was a breach of Jordan’s sovereignty, and Jordan had the right to intercept unauthorized drones.
Jordan’s response was to call in the Iranian ambassador, showing its displeasure and reaffirming its control over its airspace. This is consistent with international rules that govern airspace, which were established after World War I and apply to modern technology like drones and missiles. According to Article 8 of the Chicago Convention on Aviation, which all three countries—Jordan, Iraq, and Iran—are part of, drones are not allowed to fly over countries without explicit permission.
Recently, Jordan’s Foreign Minister visited Iran for the first time in 11 years. This visit, following talks with Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, likely served as a warning to Iran about using Jordanian airspace for any future attacks on Israel.
