Choice by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority reportedly associated to US sanctions imposed on Iranian airways.
Revealed On 10 Nov 2026
Iraq barred a aircraft carrying Iran’s nationwide soccer workforce from touchdown at Basra airport on Tuesday, a choice by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority linked to sanctions by the United States imposed on Iranian airways, two Basra airport officers advised the Reuters information company.
The aircraft returned to Iran and landed at Abadan airport, and the workforce will now journey by street to Basra, an Iranian consulate official in Basra mentioned.
The Iranian team was travelling to Iraq to take part in a four-nation event in Basra additionally involving Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.
An Iraqi civil aviation official mentioned Iraq made the choice as a result of it couldn’t danger violating US sanctions on Iranian airways.
The incident highlights the growing influence of US sanctions on Iranian aviation operations in Iraq.
Washington introduced sanctions on any international corporations doing enterprise with Iranian airways after September 23, aiming to floor Iran’s total civil fleet worldwide.
In September, Iraq ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport after the US threatened secondary sanctions towards airports and repair suppliers that deal with Iranian carriers.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that airports servicing Iranian airways might face sanctions, together with exclusion from the US greenback system.
This warning was a part of a broader effort to tighten restrictions on Iran’s transport sector and on international entities offering providers to sanctioned Iranian airways.
Intensified sanctions are a part of a US bid to squeeze Iran economically as President Donald Trump struggles to finish the battle that the US and Israel launched on the nation in February.
