Iran protests US aviation sanctions as Najaf-Iran flights resume
Iran has filed a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization over US aviation sanctions, while Iraqi Airways has resumed commercial flights between Najaf and Iranian airports. The developments came on Monday after Najaf and three other Iraqi airports temporarily suspended flights because of fears that aviation services linked to Tehran could trigger secondary sanctions. The resumption restores at least one regional route that had been disrupted by the sanctions pressure.
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According to Iran's civil aviation authorities, the complaint was lodged earlier in the day and coordinated with the foreign ministry. The head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, Abuzar Shiroudi, said the ICAO had ruled in Iran's favour on its formal protest over the sanctions. He also said Tehran had filed a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over attacks on airports, aircraft and radar systems, with the matter still under review.
The immediate disruption has affected handling services and flight operations linked to Iranian carriers, as international contractors and airport operators weigh the risk of US penalties. Iran said it is seeking explanations from several countries through diplomatic channels after some routes were halted. The country's aviation sector has not been grounded entirely, but the sanctions have added pressure to regional connectivity and airline operations.
The dispute matters because aviation sanctions can quickly spread beyond the targeted airlines, affecting airports, service providers and passengers across neighbouring states. In this case, the risk of secondary sanctions appears to have influenced decisions in Iraq, where temporary suspensions were reported at Najaf and three other airports. That makes the issue not only a bilateral dispute between Tehran and Washington, but also a wider test of how regional transport networks respond to sanctions enforcement.
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The latest complaint adds to a broader legal and diplomatic effort by Iran to challenge restrictions on its aviation sector. Shiroudi said flights to East Asia were still operating without cancellations, according to Iran's semi-official reporting, suggesting the impact has been uneven across routes. Airports in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Oman and the United Arab Emirates have recently cancelled flights by Iranian airlines, indicating that the disruption has already spread across several countries.
What remains unclear is how far the sanctions pressure will continue to affect regional flight schedules and whether more airports or contractors will suspend services. The ICJ case is still under review, and any compensation would depend on the court's final ruling. For now, the key question is whether diplomatic and legal channels can stabilise flight operations before further cancellations spread.
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