Iraqi Airports Ground All Flights to and From Iran Following New US Aviation Sanctions

Four major Iraqi airports have halted all flights connecting Iraq and Iran, following the recent announcement of US aviation sanctions targeting global companies that conduct business with Iranian airlines. This measure marks an escalation in the sanctions campaign, initiated under Operation Economic Outcast in August, aimed at isolating Iran from the global economy.

According to Iraqi state media, flight operations have been suspended across Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, and Sulaimaniyah airports. Prior to this suspension, Iraq served as a primary destination for Iranian carriers, particularly after Iraqi airlines suspended their own flights to Iran at the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in February. Passengers traveling between the two nations now face mandatory land journeys lasting at least 12 hours.

The suspension at Najaf international airport was officially reported by Iraq’s state news agency. Airport director Hussein Muhanna confirmed to the AFP news agency that all flights between Iran and Najaf airport were halted following a directive issued by the prime minister’s office to the governor of Najaf. As Shia-majority nations, flights involving Najaf frequently transport Iraqi Shia Muslim pilgrims to Iran's holy sites or Iranian visitors traveling to sacred locations within Iraq.

Addressing the suspension via a post on X, the Iranian Consulate in Najaf criticized the move, asking how Najaf international airport—associated with the shrine of the first Imam of the Shia and the capital of their last Imam—could be closed to the largest Shia country in the world. An Iraqi employee working for an Iranian airline at Najaf airport noted that while carriers typically operate a minimum of 20 daily flights, only four flights to alternative destinations remained on the schedule.

Regional countries including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have similarly canceled or restricted flights to Iran to comply with US aviation sanctions, despite warnings from the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Iranian airlines are currently restricted to a limited number of operational routes, such as Turkiye, Russia, China, and Armenia.

“We cannot say that Iran is totally cut off from air traffic, but shrunk considerably,” stated Al Jazeera correspondent Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Tehran. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera's Jack Hewson reported from Baghdad that Iraq’s central government has not issued an official statement regarding the suspensions, likely to avoid antagonizing pro-Iranian factions within the Iraqi parliament. Hewson explained that companies offering essential ground services, such as refuelling and baggage handling, are unwilling to risk secondary sanctions and exclusion from the international US dollar system, placing Iraq in a difficult geopolitical position between the US and Iran.