Iraq bars Iranian football team’s plane from landing in Basra: Report

Iraq barred a plane carrying Iran’s national football team from landing at Basra airport on Tuesday, citing the risk of breaching US sanctions on Iranian airlines. The incident shows how the sanctions are affecting Iranian aviation and the team’s travel to an international tournament.

The plane returned to Iran and landed at Abadan, after which the team was expected to travel overland to Basra. Iran is due to join Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine in a four-nation tournament. The US has threatened sanctions against companies and airports that provide services to Iranian airlines, and Iraq suspended Iranian flights to Baghdad in September.