IRAN yesterday banned a Eurocypria aircraft from landing in the country, reports said.

Citing a government source, state broadcaster CyBC said the Iranians were troubled by the fact that the aircraft had entered Iran through Iraqi airspace, which is controlled by the United States.

The order for the plane to turn back was given while it was preparing to land at Teheran airport.

Reports said the aircraft had been granted permission from the Iranian civil aviation authorities.

The plane had taken off from Larnaca yesterday morning on the first flight to Iran to carry 189 tourists to Cyprus.

It returned to the island in the afternoon after refuelling in Syria.