Iraqi airports suspend all flights to and from Iran following US sanctions

Four Iraqi airports – Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah – have halted all flights to and from Iran after the United States announced new aviation sanctions on companies dealing with Iranian airlines.

Iraqi state media confirmed the suspensions, with Najaf International Airport reporting the halt early on Friday. Airport director Hussein Muhanna told AFP that the directive came from the prime minister’s office to the governor of Najaf.

The move follows the United States’ Operation Economic Outcast, launched in August, which seeks to isolate Iran’s aviation sector. Iraq had become a major destination for Iranian carriers after Iraqi airlines stopped flying to Iran at the start of the US‑Israel war on Iran in February.

Passengers now face a land journey of at least 12 hours between the two countries. An Iraqi employee of an Iranian airline at Najaf said Iranian carriers usually operate around 20 daily flights, but only four flights to other destinations remained scheduled after the suspension.

Other regional states, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have also limited flights to Iran in line with US sanctions, despite warnings from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council against such bans.

Iranian airlines are relying on reduced routes via Turkey, Russia, China and Armenia to stay operational, though they are no longer able to use the Iraqi hubs that previously linked the two Shia‑majority nations.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: Masood Aslami / Pexels.