Iran Presses Iraq to Scrap Flight Restrictions Tied to US Sanctions as Air Links Slowly Return

Iran has publicly appealed to Iraq to dismantle the remaining flight restrictions that stem from American sanctions, pushing Baghdad to return air travel between the two neighbours to full operation. The request came even as limited services resumed earlier this week at one Iraqi airport, signalling a partial but incomplete recovery of a route network that millions of travellers depend on.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Iran's Foreign Ministry described Washington's attempts to choke off Iranian trade and air transport as "illegal and inhumane." The ministry singled out what it called the "extraterritorial enforcement" of US sanctions, arguing that such measures improperly extend American law beyond its own borders. It then urged Iraqi authorities to remove the curbs without further delay.

The ministry framed the issue as a matter of practical necessity rather than politics. It noted that the movement of millions of Iranian and Iraqi citizens requires what it described as "an independent and responsible approach" to disagreements between the two governments. That language appeared intended to separate bilateral neighbourly ties from the wider confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

Some progress has already been made. According to Iraq's state-run Iraqi News Agency, flights linking the city of Najaf with Iran restarted late on Monday. The agency attributed the resumption to "diligent efforts" by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, presenting the development as a diplomatic win for Baghdad.

Iraq's ambassador to Iran, Yasser Abdulzahra al-Hajjaj, added a clarifying note that appeared aimed at defusing suggestions that Baghdad had deliberately halted Iranian services. He said his government had not taken any decision to suspend Iranian flights, implying that the interruption flowed from other actors rather than state policy.

That distinction matters because the practical obstacle has been commercial rather than legal. Foreign ground-handling companies refused to provide services at Iraqi airports, apparently fearing exposure to US penalties. Their withdrawal left aircraft unable to be processed, effectively grounding routes even where no formal Iraqi prohibition existed.

The consequences have been uneven across the country. Flights remained suspended at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports, leaving travellers to rely on overland journeys lasting at least 12 hours. The disruption has been especially painful for pilgrim traffic moving between Shia-majority regions, where air travel is often the only feasible option for the elderly, the sick and families with children.

Public anger has been visible. The Iranian news agency Press TV reported protests across Iraq, including demonstrations outside Najaf airport and in the cities of Nasiriya, Karbala and Amarah. These gatherings underscored how deeply the flight suspensions have cut into daily life and religious practice in communities that maintain close ties across the border.

The trigger for the crisis was a US ban that took effect on September 23. The measure targets any company doing business with Iranian airlines, a formulation designed to force foreign firms to choose between the American market and Iranian contracts. Its impact on Iran's international air links has been severe and swift.

Data from the aviation monitor FlightRadar24 illustrates the scale of the squeeze. Flights to and from Tehran's Imam Khomeini international airport have dropped 42 percent. Routes to Georgia, Oman and Azerbaijan have been halted entirely, while services to Dubai have been suspended since September 23.

Not every route has collapsed. Flights to China have held steady, and the busiest route, to Turkiye, has fallen by only 19 percent. Even there, individual airlines have shifted service on and off the route, suggesting that carriers are navigating the sanctions environment with caution rather than exiting outright.

Iraq had previously sought relief from Washington. Its government requested a US exemption "on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits, and the interests of civilians." That appeal reflects Baghdad's difficult position, caught between its reliance on American goodwill and its deep social, economic and religious connections to its eastern neighbour.

Iran's latest statement suggests Tehran believes Baghdad can do more, even without a formal US waiver. By pressing Iraq to lift remaining restrictions, Iranian officials are effectively asking their neighbour to absorb some of the political risk and to treat the aviation dispute as a bilateral matter rather than one dictated by Washington.

For Iraq, the calculation is delicate. Complying fully with Iranian demands could invite US retaliation against Iraqi carriers, airports or financial institutions. Refusing, however, leaves a festering grievance with a powerful neighbour and prolongs the suffering of travellers who have already endured weeks of disrupted plans.

The standoff also highlights a broader trend in the use of aviation as an instrument of pressure. Because airlines rely on international banking, insurance, leasing and ground services, sanctions targeting business partners can ground fleets without any formal ban on a country's airspace. The result is a form of economic coercion that operates through corporate caution rather than legal prohibition.

For now, the picture remains mixed. Najaf is flying again, a modest but symbolically important reopening. Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah are not, and the human cost continues to accumulate in missed medical appointments, abandoned study plans and arduous road journeys. Whether Iraq moves to lift the remaining curbs, and whether Washington tolerates such a step, will determine how quickly normal air travel returns.