Iranian flight suspension on table in CF-Al-Zaidi meeting
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest parliamentary bloc, will meet on Sunday evening with Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to discuss the suspension of Iranian flights at Iraqi airports and its political repercussions, an informed source told Shafaq News on condition of anonymity.
The talks will examine the reasons behind the restrictions, their impact on Baghdad-Tehran relations, and opposition from political groups, armed factions, and the public, according to the source, who said CF leaders will also weigh whether to maintain the measures or pursue a political and diplomatic solution that takes Iraq’s interests and the impact on its aviation sector into account.
Baghdad is already negotiating with Washington for exemptions from US measures targeting Iranian airlines to restore flights for humanitarian and civilian travel, Al-Zaidi’s office announced on Saturday.
The US Treasury sanctioned 36 targets linked to Iran’s aviation sector on Sept. 8, including 27 airlines, and warned that foreign companies providing services to designated carriers could face penalties, including exclusion from the US financial system.
A senior Iraqi government source also told Shafaq News on Sunday that Baghdad had received a direct and serious US warning against allowing Iranian airlines to continue using Iraqi airports. Any airport, company, or other entity servicing those aircraft could face American penalties.
Air links between Iraq and Iran were suspended after ground-handling companies stopped servicing the routes over concerns about such measures. Najaf International Airport, the last in Iraq maintaining connections with Iran, halted them on Friday. Erbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah followed suit, while Kirkuk International Airport confirmed it had no Iran-bound services.
Iran-aligned Iraqi factions have opposed the suspension. Harakat Al-Nujaba Secretary-General Akram Al-Kaabi threatened on Friday to call for sit-ins at Iraqi airports unless flights resume, accusing the US of restricting Iraq’s aviation decisions, while Kataib Hezbollah urged Iraqis on Thursday to break what it termed “the US siege on Iran,” calling for greater purchases of Iranian products and expanded bilateral trade.
Read more: US sanctions reshape Iraq-Iran travel, airline operations
