The Iranian national football team\u2019s flight to the Iraqi city of Basra was delayed on Tuesday after Iraqi authorities refused to grant final clearance for a private flight scheduled to transport the team\u2019s delegation from Tehran, just days before the team is due to play two friendly matches against Palestine and Iraq.<\/p>\n
According to Iran\u2019s Mehr News Agency, the plane was scheduled to depart Tehran\u2019s Mehrabad Airport at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, November 10. However, the Iraqi side had not issued final clearance for the flight approximately one hour before its scheduled departure.<\/p>\n
This disrupted the Iranian team\u2019s travel arrangements as it prepares to play two friendly matches in Basra in the coming days.<\/p>\n
The agency reported that members of the team\u2019s delegation remained at the Olympic Hotel in the Iranian capital instead of heading to the airport, after the procedures required for the direct flight could not be completed.<\/p>\n
In an attempt to find an alternative, Iranian team officials are considering flying to the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan, near the Iraqi border, and then continuing to Basra by land.<\/p>\n
It remains unclear whether the delegation will take this route or manage to obtain new clearance for a direct flight to Iraq.<\/p>\n
The Iranian national team is scheduled to face Palestine on November 14, followed by Iraq on November 17, as part of its friendly match schedule in Basra.<\/p>\n
The flight delay has raised questions about its potential impact on the team\u2019s preparations for the two matches, particularly if it is forced to change its travel route and complete part of the journey by land.<\/p>\n
The incident comes amid restrictions facing Iranian airlines due to U.S. sanctions, which have raised concerns among companies providing fuel, ground handling, and maintenance services about the risk of being subjected to secondary sanctions.<\/p>\n
In September, media outlets quoted a source at Iraq\u2019s Ministry of Transport as saying that companies specializing in ground services had suspended their services for some flights between Iraq and Iran.<\/p>\n
The source clarified at the time, however, that the Iraqi government had not issued a general decision to suspend flights between the two countries.<\/p>\n
So far, Iraqi authorities have issued no official explanation for withholding final clearance for the Iranian team\u2019s flight, or whether the matter is related to operational restrictions or other procedures.<\/p>\n
The possibility of operating the direct flight or resorting to the alternative route remains dependent on coordination between the relevant authorities, as the Iranian team seeks to reach Basra before its first match against Palestine.<\/p>\n
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