Iran urges Iraq to lift flight ban amid US sanctions

What the report says

Iran has urged Iraq to remove remaining flight restrictions and restore normal air travel between the two countries after US sanctions disrupted Iranian aviation and strained bilateral ties, according to Al Jazeera. The appeal came on Thursday, following partial service resumption at one airport earlier in the week, while flights through several major Iraqi airports remained suspended.

Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s Foreign Ministry denounced Washington’s sanctions as an effort to interfere with Iran’s trade and air transport through what it called extraterritorial enforcement. Tehran said the movement of large numbers of Iranian and Iraqi citizens required a responsible, independent response from both governments. Iraq’s ambassador to Iran, Yasser Abdulzahra al-Hajjaj, said Baghdad had not decided to suspend Iranian flights.

The disruptions have affected travel at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports, pushing some passengers onto long land journeys and interrupting pilgrim traffic, especially in Shia-majority areas. Protests have also been reported in several Iraqi cities, including outside Najaf airport. Separately, the article said the US measures, which took effect on September 23, have sharply reduced Iran’s international air links. As background, sanctions pressure on aviation often affects not only airlines but also airports, ground handlers and payment systems, making cross-border travel harder even when governments want to maintain routes.