Iraqi prime minister's Washington visit disrupts Reagan National Airport flights
Security for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s Washington visit shut Reagan National for hours, triggering 300-plus delays and at least 126 cancellations.
Security measures for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s Washington visit shut Ronald Reagan National Airport for about four hours Tuesday, snaring ordinary travelers in one of the country’s most crowded and tightly controlled air corridors. More than 300 flights were delayed and at least 126 were canceled as the airport paused commercial traffic from about 11 a.m. ET until around 3 p.m. ET.
The disruption came as al-Zaidi was in Washington for his first visit to the United States and his first international trip since taking office in May 2026. President Donald Trump hosted him at the White House to discuss U.S.-Iraqi bilateral relations, while the White House and the Federal Aviation Administration pushed out timing updates in an effort to limit the fallout. Even with those alerts, the shutdown rippled across the airport bank: some planes already airborne were allowed to land, and some aircraft on the ground were cleared to depart.
Al-Zaidi’s motorcade later moved from the White House to the Pentagon with a security helicopter overhead, a visible reminder of how tightly Iraqi leaders are protected while in Washington. The precautions reflected the stakes around the visit. The Trump administration is pressing Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed militias, reduce Iraq’s dependence on Iranian energy and create more openings for U.S. businesses.
The trip was also set to center on economics. Iraqi officials expected a week-long visit and a round of memorandums of understanding covering oil, gas, power, trade and investment. One proposed deal would create a fund tied to half a million barrels of oil a day, with Iraq using the arrangement to secure help boosting its electricity supply. Al Jazeera has also reported that oil and gas agreements were expected as the talks focused on strengthening economic relations and investment ties.
The security pause hit a system that is already under pressure. Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport handled more than 53.9 million passengers in 2025, breaking the previous record for the two-airport network. That volume makes even a brief shutdown painful, and the al-Zaidi visit showed how a single protective operation can disrupt air travel for thousands of Americans moving through the Washington area.
The episode also underscored the political sensitivity of Iraq’s leadership under Trump. Al-Zaidi came to power with Trump’s blessing, but Baghdad faces resistance from powerful pro-Iran factions, while U.S. officials and security experts remain focused on Iran-linked threats across the region and at home.
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