Iraq Suspends Iranian Airline Flights to Baghdad Effective September 23, Complying With US Secondary Sanctions Threat as Treasury Secretary Warns Global Shutdown

Iraq ordered its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad airport starting September 23, 2026, after the United States threatened secondary sanctions against any airport servicing Iranian carriers, according to two Iraqi government sources cited by Reuters and AFP. The suspension begins at midnight Wednesday, with the Iraqi government discussing diverting Iranian Airways flights from Baghdad to Najaf airport as an alternative, though details remain under negotiation. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Monday that all Iranian airlines would be shut down worldwide on September 23 through secondary sanctions, telling CNBC that airports providing fuel, landing services, or ticket sales to Iranian carriers would be knocked out of the dollar system. One Iraqi official told AFP that Iraq will enforce the ban in accordance with the US Treasury decision starting Tuesday at dawn, warning that countries failing to implement the decision could face sanctions themselves. The measures extend a September 8 Treasury announcement sanctioning 36 targets linked to Iran's aviation sector, including 27 Iranian airlines and foreign intermediaries, as part of Operation Economic Outcast aimed at restricting Iran's access to international financial networks seven months into the war between the United States and Iran.