Iraq resumes flights to Iran after US exemption
The exemption is intended to enable air links for pilgrims, patients and students, among others.
.jpg){kind=link}
Iraq says it has received an exemption from the United States from sanctions that had made air travel with Iran more difficult. Flights between the two countries can therefore resume, although reports differ on the arrangement’s precise scope and timing.
The office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Friday that Iranian airlines, with the exception of Mahan Air, may operate up to forty flights a day to and from Najaf. According to Al Jazeera, this concerns a US exemption for air traffic to the Shia pilgrimage site.
Iraqi Airways is also working to resume its own flights to Iran. Aviation Week reported, citing the Iraqi Ministry of Transport, that the airline wants to resume direct flights from Najaf in October. According to that source, an exact date for the first flight was not yet known.
The measure follows US sanctions on 36 entities that, according to Al Jazeera, are linked to Iran’s aviation sector. Handling companies subsequently stopped providing services to Iranian aircraft for fear of violating US rules themselves. As a result, flights at several Iraqi airports were suspended.
The Iraqi government had asked Washington for an exemption for travel by pilgrims, patients and students. The air links are also important for trade and family visits. Najaf is an important departure point for travellers between Iran and holy sites in Iraq and Iran.
The resumption is not complete. According to Al Jazeera, flights to Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah remain suspended for the time being. The same source reports that travellers therefore remain dependent on long overland journeys on some routes.
The reports confirm that political room has been found, but not that all operational conditions have been finalised. The exemption eases the impact of the sanctions on Iraq without lifting the broader US restrictions on Iran’s aviation sector.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Iraq says it has obtained a US exemption for air links with Iran.
- According to Iraqi statements, Najaf may once again receive flights; Mahan Air is excluded.
- The US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector largely remain in place.
- According to the available reporting, not all Iraqi airports have been reconnected.
Left
Arguments Sanctions that affect ordinary travellers, patients and students should be limited. A humanitarian and religious air corridor is defensible as long as it does not serve as a back door for evading military or economic sanctions.
Values Human mobility, religious freedom and the protection of civilians.
Consequences Support for broad exemptions with monitoring mechanisms and transparency about airlines and cargo.
Centre
Arguments A limited, controllable exemption can reduce practical harm without abandoning the sanctions regime as a whole. The arrangement should be assessed for compliance and security.
Values Institutional oversight, proportionality and regional stability.
Consequences A phased resumption with reporting, clear conditions and the option to withdraw the exemption.
Right
Arguments Sanctions lose their effectiveness if exemptions become too broad. Washington must prevent air links from indirectly returning money, technology or influence to Iran.
Values National security, enforcement and deterrence.
Consequences A narrow exemption for demonstrably humanitarian travel, with strict oversight and the exclusion of airlines presenting security risks.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text keeps the various reports about Iraqi Airways and Iranian airlines separate. Unconfirmed details about the US exemption and the exact resumption date are explicitly presented as uncertain.
- confirmed Iraq says it has obtained a US exemption from aviation sanctions. — This appears in statements by Iraqi Airways and the prime minister’s office, as quoted by Anadolu and Al Jazeera. source
- confirmed Iranian airlines other than Mahan Air may operate up to forty flights a day to Najaf. — Reported by Al Jazeera on the basis of the Iraqi prime minister’s statement. source
- confirmed Iraqi Airways wants to resume direct flights to Iran in October. — Aviation Week cites the Iraqi Ministry of Transport. source
- confirmed The United States imposed sanctions on 36 entities in Iran’s aviation sector. — Al Jazeera mentions the sanctions of 8 September. source
- confirmed Flights to Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah remained suspended, according to Al Jazeera. — This restriction is explicitly mentioned in the article. source