An Iraqi Airways aircraft is seen on the tarmac at an airport in Iraq, parked at a boarding gate during routine ground operations.
Iraq denies reports of flight suspensions at Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah airports
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Ministry of Transport on Tuesday denied reports that flights had been suspended at Baghdad and Sulaymaniyah international airports, saying air traffic is continuing normally to all destinations.
Ministry spokesman Maytham al-Safi said claims circulating on media and social platforms were incorrect. “The circulated news about the suspension of flights at Baghdad International Airport is unfounded,” he told the Iraqi News Agency. “Flights are continuing to all destinations, and aircraft transiting Iraqi airspace are also operating normally. There is no suspension at any Iraqi airport.”
Al-Safi said a brief interruption affected only Sulaymaniyah International Airport and was limited to flights bound for Iran because of poor weather. “There was a temporary suspension of flights to the Islamic Republic due to bad weather conditions,” he said. “Once conditions improved, flights resumed in a normal manner.”
Reports earlier Tuesday said flights from Baghdad and Sulaymaniyah to Iran had been halted because of unrest there, with some outlets claiming routes to Tehran were canceled.
The denial is the second since protests erupted in Iran nearly two weeks ago. Erbil and Sulaymanyiyah airport officials have repeatedly said they received no instructions to cancel flights to Iranian destinations, even as several regional and international carriers have suspended services. Turkish Airlines, AnadoluJet and Pegasus have halted flights to Iran, while Flydubai and Qatar Airways have canceled multiple routes, citing unrest and operational disruptions inside the country.
Iran is facing its most serious unrest in years, with nationwide protests driven by economic collapse, political repression and public anger at the ruling system. Reuters reported Tuesday that an Iranian official said about 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed since the protests began, marking the first official acknowledgment of a high death toll during the crackdown. The violence has drawn sharp international condemnation, and U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that further civilian killings could trigger direct consequences.