Iranian flights suspended at Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah airports

Restrictions on Iranian aviation have entered a broader phase, with flights between Iraq and Iran suspended through several airports, alongside the suspension and cancellation of Iranian flights in other countries across the region, amid U.S. sanctions targeting airlines and related service providers.

In Iraq, flights operated by Iranian airlines have been suspended at Baghdad International Airport since last Tuesday, amid reports that ground-handling companies have withdrawn from servicing Iranian aircraft for fear of being subjected to U.S. sanctions.

Later, the administration of Najaf International Airport announced the suspension of all flights arriving from and departing for Iran from 2 a.m. today until further notice, without specifying the reasons for the decision or the party that ordered it.

Two sources told Kurdish and Iraqi media that Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports in the federal Kurdistan Region also suspended flights to and from Iran as of today, Friday, further reducing air travel links between Iraq and Iran within a short period.

These developments follow the U.S. Treasury Department’s imposition of sanctions on September 8 against dozens of companies and entities linked to Iran’s aviation sector, including airlines, ground-handling and cargo companies. The measures set September 23 as the deadline for ending the provision of services to Iranian carriers, with companies facing sanctions that could cut them off from the dollar-based financial system.

The restrictions have also extended to other countries. The United Arab Emirates announced the suspension of flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from its airports until further notice, while Oman, Azerbaijan and Georgia halted flights operated by Iranian airlines. Turkey, meanwhile, imposed partial restrictions on some flights, according to reports on air traffic.

Despite the widening restrictions, Iranian flights to several destinations in Asia, including China, Thailand and Afghanistan, continued to operate, while some routes to Armenia, Pakistan and Tajikistan remained active.

The U.S. measure does not amount to an international ban on Iranian aviation. Instead, it relies primarily on secondary sanctions targeting foreign companies that provide fuel, maintenance, ground-handling and other services to Iranian carriers, prompting some companies to stop dealing with them for fear of sanctions.