Iraq Blocks Plane Carrying Iran's National Team from Landing on Its Territory

In depth

Iraq prevented the landing in Basra of a plane carrying Iran's national football team, over concern about violating US sanctions on Iranian airlines. The special flight from Tehran to Basra did not receive final approval until only about an hour before takeoff, and the Iranian delegation remained at a hotel in the capital. The plane returned to Iran and landed in Abadan.

The players were forced to reach Iraq via a land border crossing. The team is expected to take part in a tournament that will also feature Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority.

The Iranian delegation continued on by bus and crossed the land border into Iraq, so the team reached the tournament overland.