Baghdad (AFP) - Baghdad announced on Friday that it had obtained from Washington an exemption from the sanctions allowing Iranian airlines to operate dozens of flights daily to and from Najaf airport, days after a similar exemption was granted to Iraqi Airlines.
Published on: 02/10/2026 - 19:00
Last week, all Iraqi airports began complying with the sanctions imposed by the United States on the entire Iranian aviation sector, which led to major disturbances at Najaf Airport in the south of the country, which is a main gateway for visitors to the holy shrines for Shiites.
Iranian airlines mainly transport visitors from the Islamic Republic, or Iraqis wishing to travel to it, whether for religious visits, medical purposes, or to pursue educational attainment.
The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed in a statement on Friday, “An agreement was reached that allows the operation of 40 flights daily to and from Najaf Al-Ashraf International Airport for Iranian airlines, with the exception of Mahan.”
The agreement came as a result of efforts aimed “to facilitate the movement of travelers and visitors coming to or departing from Iraq, and to support the humanitarian, therapeutic, tourism and academic aspects,” praising the “positive response shown by the American government” to this.
The government announcement came after Iraqi official sources confirmed on Tuesday that Washington granted Iraqi Airlines an exemption to operate flights from Najaf Airport to Iran in both directions, provided that they are allocated to transport Iranian visitors to the holy shrines.
Washington had given foreign companies providing assistance to the Iranian aviation sector until September 23 to comply with the ban, such as stopping supplying Iranian aircraft with kerosene fuel.
Failure to comply puts these companies at risk of being blacklisted in turn, thus cutting them off from the dollar financial system.
The suspension of flights forced those wishing to visit Iraq from Iran, or vice versa, to search for alternatives through long land trips, in light of foreign airlines suspending their flights to Iran since the start of the American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic in February.
Baghdad, which has become an arena for competition between the United States and Iran since the American invasion in 2003, has always tried to balance its relations with the two powers that have political and economic influence in Iraq.
© 2026 AFP
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