US Grants Iraq Special Waiver to Resume Pilgrimage Flights to Iran

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Transport Minister Wahb al-Hasani succeeded in securing a US-granted special exemption that permits Iraqi Airways to fly to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The exemption is aimed at facilitating pilgrimages between Najaf and Iran’s sacred cities, as well as supporting Iraqi students and medical patients traveling there. An airport official confirmed that the airline has been cleared to operate, though a timetable has not yet been set.

The transport ministry indicated that flights could launch from Najaf in October after necessary organisational steps are met. Iraq had previously sought the waiver after US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector were imposed, which had halted Iranian carriers and earlier Iraqi flights to Iran. The exemption aligns Iraq with other nations that have complied with the US ban on Iranian airlines.