Iraq says Iran barred Maliki plane from airspace

Baghdad, Apr 8: Iran refused to allow a plane carrying Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on a trip to Asia to cross its airspace overnight, a senior adviser to the Iraqi leader today said.

Sadiq al-Rikabi, who is accompanying Maliki on the trip to Japan and South Korea, said the prime minister's plane entered Iranian airspace at about 8:30 pm yesterday.

''Suddenly the Iranian aviation authorities ordered the pilot to go back,'' Rikabi said.

''We were obliged to fly to Dubai where we stayed for more than three hours to file a new (flight) plan,'' he said by telephone from Bangkok, where the plane was just about to depart for Tokyo.

Rikabi said it was unclear why Iran had barred Maliki's plane from crossing its territory.

No immediate comment was available from Iranian officials.

Iraq's US-backed government has often had to tread a delicate path in trying to maintain good relations with both Iran, its neighbour to the east, and the United States.

Washington has accused Shi'ite Iran of fomenting unrest in Iraq, a charge Tehran denies.

Reuters