Iran files complaint with UN aviation agency over US flight restrictions

Iran has filed a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over US restrictions affecting its aviation sector, the head of the country’s Civil Aviation Organization said Monday.

Abuzar Shiroudi told Iran’s official IRNA news agency that Tehran had submitted documents supporting its complaint and was pursuing legal and diplomatic efforts to lift the restrictions and restore previously operated routes.

Direct flights to European countries face restrictions, he said, adding that travelers were using connections through regional hubs, particularly Istanbul, as an alternative.

Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have recently suspended flights to and from Iran following new US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector.

Iran and Iraq also held talks on operating flights between Tehran and Najaf instead of Tehran and Baghdad, but the Tehran–Najaf flights were later canceled as well.