Overview
- Austrian officials said they rejected several U.S. requests to use Austrian airspace for operations tied to the Iran war, citing the country’s 1955 neutrality.
- Defense ministry spokesman Marcel Taschwer said each request is reviewed with the Foreign Ministry and that flights serving one side in a conflict are denied.
- The army told public broadcaster ORF that routes bound for conflict zones such as Iran or Ukraine would be diverted rather than cleared through Austria.
- Spain, Italy, France, and Switzerland have also limited U.S. military transit, and Switzerland paused arms exports to the United States during the war with Iran.
- The refusals have strained ties with Washington, as President Donald Trump voiced displeasure and suggested the NATO relationship could be revisited after the conflict.