Iran’s flag carrier Iran Air suspended plans to restart flights to Saudi Arabia after an eight-year hiatus, in a setback for one of the few concrete signs of the countries’ political detente.
Jeddah-bound pilgrimage flights from Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan scheduled for Wednesday were canceled because the Saudi authorities haven’t issued the necessary permits, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported, citing Iran Air Spokesman Hesam Ghorbanali.
In a televised statement, Iran’s Minister of Culture Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili said the problem is “a technical disagreement” between the countries’ aviation authorities, describing it as “nothing serious.”
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.