Iraq secures US sanctions waiver allowing 40 daily Iranian flights to Najaf

Terms of the aviation exemption

The Iraqi government announced that Iranian carriers can operate up to 40 daily flights to and from Najaf International Airport after Washington approved a sanctions exemption. The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed the arrangement on Friday, restoring commercial air corridors between the two countries. The measure specifically excludes Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier under United States sanctions since 2011 over allegations of transporting personnel, equipment, and funds for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iraqi authorities had earlier secured a separate exemption for the state-owned Iraqi Airways, which plans to resume flights to Iranian destinations during October. Prime Minister al-Zaidi described the agreement as an important step for humanitarian travel, medical treatment, and cross-border tourism.

Air travel does not merely represent transportation between two airports, but rather a bridge of communication between peoples.

Washington negotiations and militia disarmament

The agreement followed direct talks held on Thursday in Washington between United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The discussion addressed Shiite pilgrimages to sacred shrines, the enforcement of United States economic penalties on Iran, and Baghdad's security commitments. Prime Minister al-Zaidi has previously pledged to disarm Iran-backed armed groups operating within Iraq by June. Foreign Minister Hussein stated that the sanctions exemption reflects mutual respect between Baghdad and Washington while maintaining access to holy sites in Najaf. The city houses the shrine of Imam Ali, attracting millions of religious visitors, scholars, and pilgrims annually from Iran and across the region.

Sanctions timeline and airport suspensions

The United States Treasury expanded its economic measures on September 8, targeting 36 entities connected to Iran's aviation industry to restrict state revenue. Washington set a compliance deadline of September 23 for foreign service providers, warning that companies refueling or handling Iranian aircraft risked exclusion from the dollar financial system. Third-party ground handlers subsequently halted operations for Iranian planes, causing flights to stop across four Iraqi airports in late September. Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran Yasser al-Hajjaj stated that Baghdad had not ordered the suspension itself, which led to public demonstrations outside the airport in Najaf and across southern cities including Nasiriya, Karbala, and Amarah. Similar restrictions forced carriers in neighboring nations, including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, and the United Arab Emirates, to suspend or limit Iranian flights.

Passenger traffic and cross-border movement

The halt in flights forced travelers to seek overland transport options between Iraq and Iran. Before the restrictions took effect, Iranian airlines operated extensive scheduled routes into Iraqi territory, serving pilgrims, university students, and medical patients. Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh outlined the scale of passenger travel between the two countries prior to the suspension.

Around 12,000 to 13,000 people travel between Iran and Iraq and vice versa on Iranian airlines, which is not a small number.

According to al-Sadegh, Iranian airlines operated approximately 25 daily flights to Najaf and roughly 15 daily flights to Baghdad before the sanctions halted regular services. The new waiver restores direct access to Najaf, although broader constraints on other Iraqi destinations and foreign airspace remain in place.