Iraq bars Iranian football team’s plane from landing in Basra: Report

Plane diverted to Iran

Two Basra airport officials told Reuters that Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority had barred the team’s plane from landing. They linked the decision to US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines.

The aircraft went back to Iran and touched down at Abadan airport. An Iranian consulate official in Basra said the team would travel onward by road.

Tournament plans continue

Iran’s team was travelling to Basra for a four-nation tournament. Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine are also taking part. An Iraqi civil aviation official said authorities acted because they did not want to risk breaching US sanctions. The account did not say whether the team’s tournament schedule would change.

Sanctions affect air travel

In September, Iraq ordered Iranian flights to Baghdad suspended after the United States threatened secondary sanctions on airports and service providers handling Iranian carriers. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that airports serving those airlines could face penalties, including exclusion from the US dollar system.

Broader pressure on Iran

The warning formed part of a wider effort to restrict Iran’s transport sector and foreign entities providing services to sanctioned airlines. The Basra incident points to the effect those restrictions can have on Iranian aviation operations in Iraq.

The intensified measures are part of a US effort to put economic pressure on Iran. President Donald Trump is struggling to end the war that the United States and Israel launched against the country in February.