{"id":6696,"date":"2026-10-02T21:01:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T21:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6696"},"modified":"2026-10-02T21:01:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T21:01:03","slug":"iraq-grants-iranian-airlines-40-daily-najaf-flights-after-us-exemption-aviation-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6696","title":{"rendered":"Iraq grants Iranian airlines 40 daily Najaf flights after US exemption | Aviation News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mahan Air is excluded from the agreement as Baghdad says Washington granted its request for a waiver.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published On 2 Oct 2026<\/span>2 Oct 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Iraq has agreed to let Iranian airlines, except Mahan Air, operate up to 40 flights a day to and from Najaf International Airport, saying the United States granted an exemption from its sanctions.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi\u2019s office announced the agreement on Friday, a day after Tehran urged Baghdad to lift restrictions<\/a> that it said hurt pilgrims, patients, students and business.<\/p>\n

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The deal eases the links between the two Shia-majority neighbours since Washington sanctioned Iran\u2019s aviation sector last month.<\/p>\n

Al-Zaidi welcomed the \u201cpositive response shown by the US government to Iraq\u2019s efforts and its cooperation in granting the necessary exemption\u201d, the statement from his office said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAir travel does not merely represent transportation between two airports, but rather a bridge of communication between peoples,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n

Separately, Iraq\u2019s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said<\/a> the return of flights supports an Iraqi-US partnership premised on mutual respect.<\/p>\n

Hussein also welcomed what he described as US understanding of the importance of respecting religious freedom and facilitating access for visitors to holy sites.<\/p>\n

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Security personnel stand guard as demonstrators gather outside the Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf International Airport in Najaf, demanding the facility to be reopened for flights from Iran [AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Flights suspended<\/h2>\n

The US Treasury announced sanctions on September 8 against 36 entities linked to Iran\u2019s aviation sector<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Foreign ground-handling companies then refused to service Iranian aircraft for fear of falling foul of US sanctions, and flights stopped at four Iraqi airports.<\/p>\n

Soon after, Iraq\u2019s government held direct talks<\/a> with Washington, seeking an exemption.<\/p>\n

Iraq\u2019s ambassador to Tehran, Yasser al-Hajjaj, told Iran\u2019s IRNA news agency that Baghdad had not ordered the halt in flights. The suspension also led to demonstrations outside Najaf airport and in Nasiriya, Karbala and Amarah, according to Iran\u2019s Press TV.<\/p>\n

Najaf is the main destination for Iranian flights in Iraq. Flights to and from the city carry Iraqi Shia Muslim pilgrims to Iran\u2019s holy cities or Iranians visiting sacred sites in Iraq.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s ambassador to Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh, told the Iranian news agency ISNA that there were \u201croughly 25 daily flights from Iran to Najaf and about 15 flights to Baghdad\u201d before the ban.<\/p>\n

\u201cAround 12,000 to 13,000 people travel between Iran and Iraq and vice versa on Iranian airlines, which is not a small number,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

In a statement shared on Thursday, Iran\u2019s Foreign Ministry said that Washington\u2019s \u201cillegal and inhumane\u201d extraterritorial enforcement of sanctions was disrupting Iran\u2019s trade and air transport.<\/p>\n

Restrictions remain<\/h2>\n

Flights between Najaf and Iran restarted late on Monday, according to the Iraqi News Agency.<\/p>\n

However, flights with Iran are still suspended at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports, forcing passengers into land journeys of at least 12 hours and disrupting pilgrim traffic.<\/p>\n

Al Jazeera has not verified the exemption with representatives in Washington.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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Mahan Air is excluded from the agreement as Baghdad says Washington granted its request for a waiver. Published On 2 Oct 20262 Oct 2026 Iraq has agreed to let Iranian airlines, except Mahan Air, operate up to 40 flights a day to and from Najaf International Airport, saying the United States granted an exemption from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t