Three Iraqi airports suspend Iranian flights from Friday
Three Iraqi airports have suspended Iranian flights starting Friday, according to sources and state media, completing a halt at all four Iraqi airports that previously handled Iran routes. The move follows U.S. sanctions pressure on carriers and services linked to Iranian airlines.
Key Takeaways
- Erbil and Sulaimaniya suspended Iranian flights from Friday, two sources told Reuters.
- Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniya now all halt Iran routes, sources and state media say.
- Washington threatened secondary sanctions on firms dealing with Iranian airlines after September 23.
- Iran has warned neighbours that cooperating with U.S. measures could disrupt their airports.
Which Iraqi airports stopped Iranian flights?
According to Reuters, Erbil and Sulaimaniya airports suspended Iranian flights starting Friday. Two sources confirmed the step after other Iraqi airports acted earlier in the week.
Iraq’s state news agency reported the suspension at Najaf International Airport earlier on Friday. Iran International said Najaf’s halt took effect at 2 a.m. Friday until further notice.
Two sources told Reuters that Iraq ordered its civil aviation authority to halt Iranian flights to Baghdad from Wednesday. That means flights to and from Iran are suspended from all four Iraqi airports where they were operating: Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniya.
Why are Iranian flights being suspended now?
Washington announced it would impose sanctions on global companies doing business with Iranian airlines after September 23, with the aim of grounding Iran’s civilian fleet worldwide. U.S. Treasury officials also warned that airports and firms providing fuel, ground handling or ticket sales for sanctioned carriers could face penalties.
The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday it was suspending all flights by Iranian airlines to and from the country until further notice. Azerbaijan and Georgia had already confirmed suspending Iranian flights, while links to Baghdad and Muscat were also halted, regional reporting said.
Al Jazeera noted that several connections to Türkiye and China have continued, though many flights on those routes have been cancelled too.
How has Iran responded to the flight bans?
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, urged neighbours not to join what he called a U.S. “adventure.” He warned that if a country cooperates, its airports will no longer be able to operate flights to Iran and said Tehran would ensure those airports “cannot function.”
Supreme leader adviser Mohammad Mokhber wrote on Friday that if Iran cannot fly and receive airport services, “no country in the region will have that possibility either.” Neither official explained how such threats would be enforced.
Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said the warning is deliberately ambiguous and meant as deterrence. Security analyst Wolfgang Pusztai told the outlet an attack on regional airports is extremely unlikely, while noting that cancelled flights are immediately visible to travellers.
The disruption hits family visits, business travel and pilgrimage traffic tied to Najaf and Karbala. For more updates in this stream, see our Celebrity Breaking News hub.