Iran Condemns US-Imposed Restrictions on Air Traffic with Iraq
WANA (Oct 02) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry has condemned restrictions imposed on civil aviation traffic between Iran and Iraq, describing them as contrary to the interests of the two countries and calling for appropriate measures to counter what it described as U.S. economic terrorism and interference.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as unlawful and inhumane actions by the United States aimed at disrupting Iran’s commercial relations and air transportation with other countries through the extraterritorial implementation of U.S. sanctions.
The ministry said such measures violated fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law, particularly respect for the national sovereignty of states, as well as basic human rights standards. It also described the measures as a dangerous scheme aimed at undermining friendly relations between countries, particularly neighboring states.
The statement stressed the deep historical, religious, cultural and people-to-people ties between Iran and Iraq, saying the restrictions imposed on civil aviation traffic between the two countries were contrary to their shared interests.
It said Iran-Iraq relations went beyond normal ties between two neighboring countries and were based on deep people-to-people links and mutual interests in various fields.
The ministry said the movement of millions of Iranian and Iraqi citizens for economic and commercial activities, pilgrimage, tourism, education, and medical treatment required transportation and communications between the two nations to be managed independently, responsibly and with a forward-looking approach based on their common interests.
The Foreign Ministry said the restrictions on air traffic between Iran and Iraq had created serious difficulties for hundreds of thousands of passengers, pilgrims, patients, students and businesspeople from the two countries, and were at odds with the strategic and good-neighborly nature of Iran-Iraq relations.
While stressing its respect for Iraq’s national sovereignty, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called for appropriate decisions to address what it described as U.S. economic terrorism and interference, remove the restrictions and restore normal conditions for flights operated by the airlines of the two countries in line with the interests of the Iranian and Iraqi peoples.
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