Aviation chief says Tehran files ICAO complaint over US restrictions
Iran has filed a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over US restrictions on the country's aviation industry and is pursuing diplomatic efforts to restore suspended flight routes, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said on Monday.
“The Civil Aviation Organization is pursuing the necessary measures, using all legal instruments and in close coordination with the country's diplomatic apparatus, to remove obstacles and resume all flights on routes that were previously active,” Abouzar Shiroudi told IRNA.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that Iranian airlines would be "shut down" from Sept. 16 as Washington moved to tighten pressure on Iran's aviation sector. On Sept. 8, the US Treasury Department sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines as part of a broader campaign announced on Aug. 24, warning that foreign companies supporting Iran's aviation industry could face sanctions and restrictions on access to the US financial system.
Shiroudi said Iran's formal protest had been submitted to ICAO as part of efforts to defend the rights of its aviation industry and challenge “the unlawful US restrictions.” He said the complaint detailed Iran's objections and supporting documents concerning disruptions to flight operations.
Preventing flights amounted to a violation of bilateral agreements under which countries allow each other's airlines to use their airports, Shiroudi said. He added that Iran had also sent letters to countries where flights had been suspended, seeking explanations for the cancellations.
Regarding flights to Baghdad and Najaf, Shiroudi said the Iraqi government, parliament and Civil Aviation Authority were actively working to resume services. Flights to Najaf were expected to resume first, followed by Baghdad, he said.
Neighboring Iraq has joined several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, in enforcing US measures. China has rejected the Trump administration's sanctions targeting Iran's aviation sector, calling unilateral US sanctions “illegal.”
Reports have emerged that Iraq had lifted its ban on Iranian airlines, but Shiroudi told ISNA that Iran's Civil Aviation Organization had not yet received an official directive confirming the move and that negotiations to restore flights were continuing.
“The organization is negotiating and following up on the resumption of flights to Iraq, but there is no specific timetable for this,” Shiroudi said.
Shiroudi denied reports that flights to Najaf would resume on Wednesday, Sept. 30, saying no official directive had yet been issued to lift the ban on Iranian airlines. He said the reports had appeared in Iraqi media and that the Iraqi government had not yet responded to them.
The Iraqi government said on Saturday that Iraq was holding talks with the United States to secure an exemption from the ban on Iranian airlines, which has disrupted travel for patients, students and pilgrims.
Connecting Flights Remain in Use
Meanwhile, connecting flights through regional aviation hubs, including Istanbul, have been used as an alternative since restrictions were imposed on direct flights to Europe, Shiroudi said, adding that the arrangement remains in place.
He also said the organization was prioritizing efforts to reopen routes that had been temporarily suspended because of recent regional and wartime conditions following the 40-day US-Israeli strikes against Iran.