BASRA, Iraq,— Iraq denied landing permission to a plane carrying Iran’s national soccer team at Basra airport on Tuesday, citing the risk of violating US sanctions against Iranian airlines, two airport officials in Basra said, Reuters reported.
The aircraft returned to Iran and landed at Abadan airport. The team will now travel to Basra by road, an Iranian consulate official in the Iraqi city said.
Iran’s squad was heading to Basra for a four-nation soccer tournament featuring Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.
An Iraqi civil aviation official said the decision followed concerns that allowing the aircraft to land could breach US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines.
The incident reflects the growing effect of Washington’s restrictions on Iran’s aviation operations in Iraq. On Sept. 23, the United States announced sanctions targeting companies worldwide that conduct business with Iranian airlines, aiming to ground Iran’s civilian aircraft fleet.
In September, Iraq also ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport after Washington threatened secondary sanctions against airports and service providers handling Iranian carriers.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that airports serving Iranian airlines could face penalties, including removal from the US dollar financial system.
The warning formed part of a wider US campaign to tighten restrictions on Iran’s transport sector and foreign companies providing services to airlines under sanctions.
The Basra landing ban marks another case in which US sanctions have affected Iran’s ability to operate flights in neighboring Iraq, forcing the national team to change its travel arrangements ahead of the tournament.
(With files from Reuters)
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