Iraq Blocks Iran Soccer Team’s Plane Over United States Sanctions

Iraq barred a plane carrying Iran's national soccer team from landing at Basra airport on ?Tuesday, a decision by the Iraqi Civil Aviation ?Authority linked to US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines, two Basra airport officials said.

The plane returned to Iran and landed at ?Abadan airport, and the team will now travel ?overland to Basra, an Iranian consulate official in Basra ?said.

The



Iranian team was travelling to Iraq to ?participate in a four-nation tournament in Basra also involving Iraq, ?Lebanon and Palestine.

The incident highlights the increasing impact of US sanctions ?on Iranian aviation operations in Iraq. Washington had announced sanctions on ?any ?global companies doing business with Iranian airlines after September 23, with the aim of grounding Iran’s entire civil fleet worldwide.