A plane carrying Iran's national football team was turned away from Basra airport in Iraq on Tuesday, with the Iraqi authorities citing concerns over U.S. sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines as the reason for their decision. The aircraft was forced to return to Iran and landed at Abadan airport. The team subsequently traveled by road to Basra, crossing the border through Shalamcheh.
The incident occurred as the Iranian team was en route to participate in a four-nation football tournament that also included Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. An Iraqi civil aviation official reportedly stated that the decision was made because Iraq could not risk violating U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines. The U.S. has been stepping up restrictions on Iran's aviation sector, with the announcement of new sanctions on global companies doing business with Iranian airlines after September 23.
These sanctions aim to ground Iran's entire civilian aircraft fleet worldwide. In September, Iraq had also ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport due to the threat of U.S. secondary sanctions against airports and service providers handling Iranian carriers. The U.S.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had warned that airports providing services to Iranian airlines could themselves face sanctions, including exclusion from the US dollar system. The decision to prevent the Iranian team's aircraft from landing at Basra reflects the ongoing impact of these restrictions on Iranian flights operating in Iraq.