November 10, 2026
The Iranian football team was forced to enter Iraqi territory via land on Tuesday, after the Iraqi authorities refused to allow the plane carrying it to land at Basra International Airport, due to US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines.
Reuters quoted officials at Basra Airport that the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority took the decision to refuse to receive the plane for fear that Iraqi airports would be exposed to US sanctions or punitive measures.
In the same context, an official at the Iranian consulate in Basra explained that the mission’s plane was forced to land at the Iranian Abadan airport near the border, so that the mission could complete its land journey towards Basra through the Shalamcheh border crossing.
For its part, the Iranian Football Federation expressed its surprise at the decision, noting that the team had previously obtained official approval to travel directly from Tehran to Basra, before the Iraqi authorities backed down and canceled the landing permit a few hours before the flight time.
These developments come ahead of the launch of a friendly international tournament hosted by the city of Basra, starting Friday, November 13, with the participation of the teams of Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine.
The football scene of the tournament is scheduled to open with a meeting between the Iraqi team and its Lebanese counterpart at Basra International Stadium, with the Iranian team meeting the Palestinian team on Saturday, November 14.
