Iraq Bars Plane Carrying Iran's National Soccer Team from Landing in Basra

Iraq barred a plane carrying Iran's national soccer team from landing at Basra airport on ​Tuesday, a decision by the Iraqi Civil Aviation ‌Authority linked to US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines, two Basra airport officials said. The plane returned to Iran and landed at ​Abadan airport, and the team will now travel ​overland to Basra, an Iranian consulate official in Basra ⁠said.

The Iranian team was travelling to Iraq to ​participate in a four-nation tournament in Basra also involving Iraq, ​Lebanon and Palestine. An Iraqi civil aviation official said Iraq made the decision because it could not risk violating US sanctions on Iranian ​airlines.

The incident highlights the increasing impact of US sanctions ​on Iranian aviation operations in Iraq. Washington had announced sanctions on ‌any ⁠global companies doing business with Iranian airlines after September 23, with the aim of grounding Iran’s entire civil fleet worldwide. Iraq in September ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to ​Baghdad airport after ​the United ⁠States threatened secondary sanctions against airports and service providers that handle Iranian carriers.

US Treasury ​Secretary Scott Bessent warned that airports servicing ​Iranian airlines ⁠could face sanctions, including exclusion from the US dollar system. This warning was part of a broader effort to tighten ⁠restrictions ​on Iran’s transport sector and on ​foreign entities providing services to sanctioned Iranian airlines. - Reuters