Iraq Expands Suspension Of Iranian Flights Amid US Pressure

,Iraq has extended its suspension of Iranian flights to include Najaf, after Baghdad International Airport halted services by Iranian carriers amid mounting US sanctions pressure on Tehran.

Najaf’s airport administration directed airlines and other operators not to proceed with arrangements for the affected flights, saying further instructions would be issued on when services could resume. It did not identify the authority that issued the order or give a reason for the suspension.

The move followed Iraq’s decision to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad International Airport from Wednesday.

Two sources told Reuters that the Iraqi government had directed its civil aviation authority to halt the flights after the United States threatened sanctions against airports and other service providers that continue to handle Iranian carriers.

Iraqi officials had initially considered diverting Iranian flights from Baghdad to Najaf, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation also said it was working to redirect Baghdad-bound flights to Najaf after the capital stopped accepting Iranian airlines. That option has now been closed, with Najaf suspending flights to and from Iran as well.

Iranian authorities have faced a growing number of restrictions on international flights after the United States expanded sanctions targeting the country’s aviation sector.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that foreign airports and companies providing services to Iranian airlines including fuel, landing rights or ticketing, could face secondary sanctions and exclusion from the US dollar financial system.

The US measures began affecting Iranian aviation routes this week, with Iranian airlines also encountering restrictions in other countries. The latest limits have drawn criticism from Iran-aligned political groups in Iraq.

Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, accused the Iraqi government of acting as a US “puppet” over the suspensions.

“The free and proud people of Iraq will certainly respond,” Nabavian said, without specifying what form he expected the response to take.

He also called on Iraq’s Coordination Framework, an alliance of predominantly Shiite political groups with close ties to Tehran to take responsibility for its choice of prime minister, whom he described as a US “puppet.”

Iran-aligned groups in Iraq echoed the criticism. Harakat al-Nujaba described the suspension of Iranian airline operations as “submission” to US pressure and accused Baghdad of allowing Washington to dictate its policy toward Tehran.

Kataib Hezbollah called on Iraqis to oppose what it termed a US “siege” on Iran after the new aviation sanctions took effect.

The suspensions are significant for travel between the two neighbouring countries, which share extensive religious, commercial and family ties.

Najaf is one of Iraq’s major Shiite pilgrimage destinations, and Iranian airlines have long operated routes carrying visitors to religious sites there. Iranian travellers also use Iraqi airports as transit points for wider travel between the two countries.

Iraq has not publicly announced a blanket ban on all Iranian aviation operations. Instead, the restrictions have been applied at individual airports as US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines and their service providers take effect.