Iranian airlines resume flights to Najaf Airport after US sanctions waiver
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Iranian airlines resumed flights to Najaf International Airport in southern Iraq on Sunday, following a US sanctions waiver granted to the Iraqi government allowing limited air traffic.
The first flight operated by Iran’s Caspian Airlines landed at Najaf Airport around 5:15 PM local time (14:15 GMT), according to AFP correspondents on the scene.
The arrival marks the restoration of a corridor connecting Iran with key religious sites in Iraq.
Hussein Al-Muhanna, Assistant Director of Najaf Airport, confirmed the news to AFP, stating that service between Iraq and the Islamic Republic has recommenced.
Last month, Iraqi airports suspended Iranian flights amid US sanctions targeting Iran's aviation sector and the threat of secondary sanctions against companies providing services to Iranian carriers, leading to major disruptions at Najaf Airport, which serves as a primary gateway for Shia pilgrims visiting holy sites.
Iranian carriers primarily transport religious pilgrims between both nations, alongside Iraqis traveling to Iran for medical care or university studies.
Iraqi official sources also stated on Tuesday that Iraqi Airways received a separate exemption to operate round-trip flights between Najaf and Iran exclusively for pilgrim transport.
The US had previously set a September 23 deadline for foreign companies assisting Iran’s aviation industry, such as refueling services, to comply with prohibition rules or risk being blacklisted and cut off from the US dollar financial system.
