Iraq Denies Landing Permission to Iranian Footballers’ Plane
An aircraft carrying the Iranian national football team was denied permission to land in Iraq due to US sanctions. As a result, the plane returned to Iran without reaching Basra as scheduled. The Iranian team has since decided to travel to Basra by road.
Iran is scheduled to face Palestine in a friendly match at Basra International Stadium on November 14. Ahead of the match, a plane carrying Iranian footballers attempted to land at Basra Airport on Wednesday but was denied permission.
Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority said the decision was taken to avoid risks as the aircraft was subject to US sanctions. Two officials at Basra Airport confirmed the matter to Reuters.
After being denied permission to land at Basra Airport, the Iranian aircraft returned and landed at Abadan Airport. Later, the Iranian Consulate in Basra announced that the football team would now travel to the city by road.
The Iran team is visiting Iraq to participate in the Basra Four-Nation Tournament, which also features hosts Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. As part of the tournament, Iran is scheduled to take on Palestine on November 14.
An official of Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority said the country did not want to take any risks by allowing Iranian aircraft to land, given the US sanctions imposed on them.
The incident has further highlighted the impact of US sanctions on Iran’s civil aviation sector. Earlier, the United States had warned that companies maintaining business ties with Iranian airlines after September 23 could also face sanctions.
Washington had even warned airports that providing services to Iranian airlines could expose them to the risk of sanctions. To avoid such consequences, Iraq banned Iranian flights from Baghdad Airport last September.
