Mahan Air remains excluded from the agreement, with Baghdad confirming Washington issued a targeted waiver for the arrangement.
Iraq has authorized Iranian carriers, excluding Mahan Air, to resume operations with a quota of 40 daily round-trip flights connecting Tehran and Najaf International Airport. Baghdad attributes this decision to a sanctions exemption secured from the United States.
The arrangement was disclosed Friday by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office, following Tehran’s pressure on Baghdad on Thursday to remove restrictions it claimed were adversely affecting pilgrims, medical patients, students, and commercial interests.
The agreement marks a significant de-escalation of restrictions between the two predominantly Shia Muslim neighbors since Washington imposed sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector late last month.
In a statement, Al-Zaidi’s office praised the “positive response shown by the US government to Iraq’s efforts and its cooperation in granting the necessary exemption.”
It further noted that air connectivity serves not merely as transport between airports, but as a vital bridge of communication between peoples.
On the sidelines, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that the resumption of flights reinforces the Iraqi-US partnership built on mutual respect.
Hussein also acknowledged Washington’s recognition of the necessity to uphold religious freedom and facilitate access for pilgrims visiting holy sites.
Flight Suspension Background
The US Treasury introduced sanctions on September 8 targeting 36 entities tied to Iran’s aviation industry.
Consequently, foreign ground-handling firms refused to service Iranian aircraft to avoid violating US sanctions, causing flights to halt at four Iraqi airports.
Shortly thereafter, the Iraqi government entered direct talks with Washington to secure an exemption.
Yasser al-Hajjaj, Iraq’s ambassador to Tehran, informed Iran’s IRNA news agency that Baghdad had not ordered the suspension itself.
Iranian media reported that the suspension sparked protests outside Najaf airport and in Nasiriya, Karbala, and Amarah.
Najaf remains the primary destination for Iranian flights into Iraq, serving both Iraqi Shia pilgrims traveling to Iran and Iranian devotees visiting sacred Iraqi shrines.
Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh, Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, told ISNA that prior to the ban, there were approximately 25 daily flights to Najaf and 15 to Baghdad.
He estimated that between 12,000 and 13,000 people travel between the two countries daily via Iranian airlines, a figure he described as significant.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in a Thursday statement, condemned Washington’s “illegal and inhumane” extraterritorial sanctions enforcement as disruptive to Iran’s trade and air transport.
Remaining Restrictions
According to the Iraqi News Agency, flights between Najaf and Iran resumed late Monday.
Flights involving Iran remain suspended at Baghdad, Erbil, and Sulaimaniyah airports, however, forcing passengers onto land journeys lasting at least 12 hours and disrupting pilgrimage traffic.
Al Jazeera has not independently verified the exemption with representatives in Washington.
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