The United States pressured the Iraqi government to revoke at the very last moment a previously issued permit for the Tehran-Basra flight that was carrying the Iranian national football team, the Iranian national team’s spokesman Mohsen Mosalman said.
"The United States, having failed in its costly project to humiliate the Iranian national team at the [FIFA] 2026 World Cup, this time chose to pressure the Iraqi government to revoke the previously issued permission for the Tehran-Basra flight at the 90th minute," Mosalman said.
"It’s all in vain as the deep bond between Iran and Iraq is above the global machinations of world bullies," he added.
Reuters reported earlier that Iraq had banned the plane carrying the Iranian national team from landing at Basra Airport due to U.S. sanctions against Iranian airlines.
The Iranian jet returned to Iran and landed in Abadan. The team will now travel to Basra by land. The Iranian national team was heading to Iraq to participate in a football tournament between the teams from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. Iran was scheduled to play against the Palestinians on November 14.
