Iraq grants Iranian airlines 40 daily Najaf flights after US exemption

What the report says

Iraq has agreed to allow Iranian airlines, with the exception of Mahan Air, to operate up to 40 daily flights to and from Najaf International Airport after saying the United States granted Baghdad a sanctions waiver. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the announcement came from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office on Friday, following Tehran’s earlier call for restrictions to be lifted because of impacts on pilgrims, patients, students and trade.

The move comes after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 36 entities linked to Iran’s aviation sector on September 8, which led foreign ground-handling companies to stop servicing Iranian aircraft. That disruption halted flights at several Iraqi airports, prompting Baghdad to open direct talks with Washington. Najaf is a major route for Iranian travel and for religious visitors moving between the two countries.

Al Jazeera reported that Iraq’s foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, framed the resumption as supportive of the broader Iraq-US relationship and as consistent with respect for religious freedom. Iranian officials said the earlier suspension had affected tens of thousands of passengers and included flights to Najaf and Baghdad, though the publication said it could not independently verify the US waiver with officials in Washington.

Flights between Najaf and Iran have resumed, but services at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah remain suspended, meaning many travelers still face lengthy overland journeys.