Iran Presses Iraq to End Flight Ban Amid Ongoing US Sanctions

Iran’s foreign ministry denounced U.S. extraterritorial sanctions as illegal and inhumane, and appealed to Iraq to remove the lingering flight bans that cripple bilateral air travel. Although a service to Najaf resumed late Monday, thanks to the efforts of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, flights at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports stay suspended, pushing passengers onto journeys of at least twelve hours. Iraq’s ambassador to Iran, Yasser Abdulzahra al-Hajjaj, said Baghdad has not decided to halt Iranian flights, yet many ground-handling companies decline to work for fear of U.S. penalties.

The restrictions have sparked protests at Najaf airport and in Nasiriya, Karbala and Amarah, according to Press TV. The U.S. ban, effective from September 23, targets any entity dealing with Iranian airlines and has sharply reduced Iran’s international routes, with a 42 % drop in flights from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport. Iraq has sought a U.S. exemption on humanitarian grounds for medical, educational and religious travel.