Decision by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority reportedly linked to U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines.
Published On 10 Nov 2026
Iraq has barred a plane carrying Iran’s national football team from landing at Basra airport on Tuesday, according to two Basra airport officials speaking to Reuters. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority made the decision in response to U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines.
The aircraft turned back and landed at Abadan airport, an Iranian consulate official in Basra said, adding that the team will now travel by road to Basra.
The Iranian squad was en route to Basra to take part in a four‑nation tournament that also includes Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.
An official from Iraq’s civil aviation authority said the move was taken to avoid violating U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian carriers.
The episode underscores the growing impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran’s aviation operations in Iraq.
Washington imposed sanctions on any global firms that do business with Iranian airlines after September 23, aiming to ground Iran’s entire civil fleet worldwide.
In September, Iraq suspended Iranian flights to Baghdad airport after the U.S. warned of secondary sanctions against airports and service providers handling Iranian carriers.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned that airports servicing Iranian airlines could be excluded from the U.S. dollar system and face sanctions.
These measures are part of a broader U.S. effort to tighten restrictions on Iran’s transport sector and on foreign entities that support sanctioned Iranian airlines.
The intensified sanctions are intended to pressure Iran economically as President Donald Trump seeks to end the February conflict launched by the U.S. and Israel against the country.