Daijiworld Media Network - Baghdad
Baghdad, Sep 23: Iraq has ordered its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad airport from Wednesday, amid a US threat to impose secondary sanctions on airports and service providers that continue to handle Iranian carriers, Reuters reported citing sources.
The suspension is set to begin at midnight on Wednesday. Iraqi authorities are also discussing the possibility of diverting Iranian Airways flights from Baghdad to Najaf airport, the sources said.
The move follows remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday that Washington would seek to shut down Iranian airlines from September 23 through secondary sanctions targeting aviation service providers.
Bessent told CNBC that airports and other companies providing services to Iranian airlines could face severe consequences. He said service providers could be cut off from the US dollar system if they supplied Iranian airlines with fuel, landing services or ticketing facilities.
Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing the country's Civil Aviation Organization, reported that flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat had been cancelled from Wednesday. Other international flights, including those to Istanbul, were expected to operate as scheduled.
Iran's Civil Aviation Organization also said Iranian travellers were not currently being admitted at the airport in Oman, with consultations between the two sides continuing, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.
The flight disruptions come amid an expanding US sanctions campaign targeting Iran's trade, energy and financial sectors, including secondary sanctions against foreign companies doing business with Tehran.
Despite the growing pressure, Iran has signalled that it remains open to talks mediated by Qatar aimed at finding a long-term resolution to the conflict, while maintaining a firm position towards Washington.
Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei told Al Jazeera last week that Tehran was prepared for what he described as a decisive war and said US threats would not produce results.
The latest restrictions add to the pressure on Iran's international air links as Washington seeks to isolate Iranian airlines by targeting the services and infrastructure they rely on.