Iraq and Iran Agree to Resume 40 Daily Najaf Flights
At a Glance
- Iraq announced a deal to resume 40 daily flights between Iran and Najaf International Airport.
- The resumption utilizes a targeted U.S. government humanitarian exemption, excluding Mahan Air from the operations.
- Prime Minister al-Zaidi finalized the flight schedule to support religious tourism, student travel, and medical transit.
The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office announced that an agreement has been brokered to resume 40 daily flights between Iran and Najaf International Airport, utilizing a targeted U.S. government humanitarian exemption.
Key Statements and Focus Area
- The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office stated that Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has successfully finalized the resumption of Iranian airline flights to Najaf to support religious tourism and medical transit.
- “These efforts have resulted in an agreement allowing Iranian airlines, with the exception of Mahan Air, to operate 40 flights daily to and from Najaf International Airport,” his office stressed.
Al-Zaidi's office stated on Friday that the Prime Minister welcomed a positive response from the U.S. government, which granted an exemption to facilitate flights to Najaf for pilgrims, tourists, and medical travelers.
The office emphasized that this cooperation proves that responsible diplomacy and dialogue can deliver practical solutions centered on human needs.
Al-Zaidi affirmed that “air travel represents more than simply transportation between two airports; it is a bridge connecting peoples. Among the travelers are patients awaiting access to medical treatment, pilgrims traveling to holy shrines, and families seeking to reunite with ease, in addition to the importance of such travel for tourism, the economy, and people-to-people connections.”
The Prime Minister stressed that Iraq's foreign policy prioritizes its citizens' interests by building balanced international relationships that facilitate daily life and human connections.
According to the statement, al-Zaidi will continue working with all relevant parties to overcome transportation obstacles, safeguard travelers' interests, and strengthen international cooperation.
FYI
Civil aviation between Iran and Iraq has long been complicated by comprehensive U.S. secondary sanctions targeting the Iranian aviation sector.
Under U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's expansive "Operation Economic Outcast" sanctions campaign unveiled on August 24, targeting the Iranian aviation sector, all regional airports and service providers face immediate secondary sanctions, including being completely cut off from the U.S. dollar system, if they service any blacklisted Iranian carrier.
Most major Iranian carriers, notably Mahan Air, remain blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department due to their alleged ties to state security apparatuses. By excluding Mahan Air, Iraq structured this agreement to operate entirely within the legal limits of the specific U.S. government humanitarian exemption.
Najaf Airport is the premier gateway for millions of Shia pilgrims visiting local holy shrines. Historically dominated by Iranian travelers, this air corridor remains vital to the local economy and hospitality sector despite recent U.S. sanctions and flight restrictions
Beyond religious tourism, the Najaf-Iran air route serves as a critical transport pipeline for specialized medical transit, allowing tens of thousands of Iraqi patients to access advanced medical care in Iranian cities without enduring lengthy, unsafe overland travel.
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