Iraq has barred a plane carrying Iran’s national football team from landing at Basra airport, a decision by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority linked to US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines, Reuters reports citing two Basra airport officials.
The plane returned to Iran and landed at Abadan airport, and the team will now travel overland to Basra, an Iranian consulate official in the Iraqi city says.
The Iranian team was travelling to Iraq to participate in a four-nation tournament in Basra, also involving Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.
