Austria has denied the U.S. the use of its airspace for overflying aircraft involved in the military campaign against Iran. In line with its policy of neutrality, defense ministry spokesman Michael Bauer said Thursday.
“There were indeed requests, but we rejected them from the start,” Euronews quoted him as saying. The official clarified that Vienna does not support countries in active military conflicts in the context of neutrality.
Austria has been a neutral country since 1955. It is surrounded to the north, south and east by NATO members and to the west by neutral Switzerland. The latter has also banned the U.S. Army from using its airspace.
Previously, other European countries have also banned or restricted the use of their skies by the Americans.
Spain, for example, has banned all U.S. military aircraft from using the country’s airspace and military bases, expanding earlier restrictions, Defense Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirmed.
