Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, and Sulaimaniyah have suspended all flights to and from Iran. The measure halts aviation operations at every major airport where Iranian carriers previously operated, with service at Najaf ending from dawn Friday on orders from the Iraqi prime minister's office that forced nine Iranian airlines to stop their routes.

The suspensions follow a Washington announcement that sanctions will be imposed on any global companies doing business with Iranian airlines after September 23. In a speech at the UN, President Trump urged all nations to help enforce the "complete economic isolation of Iran," a call that Iraq is now implementing through these airport closures.