Iraq grants Iranian airlines 40 daily flights to Najaf excluding Mahan Air
Iraq announced an agreement on October 2, 2026, allowing Iranian airlines—excluding Mahan Air—to operate up to 40 daily flights to and from Najaf International Airport after securing an exemption from United States sanctions.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office confirmed the waiver, easing travel constraints that had severed vital air links between the two Shia-majority neighbors.
Treasury Restrictions Halt Regional Transit
The sudden suspension of air travel stemmed from United States Treasury sanctions enacted on September 8.
They targeted 36 entities tied to Iran’s aviation sector. Foreign ground-handling companies subsequently refused to service Iranian aircraft out of fear of falling foul of US sanctions.
Flights ground to a halt across four Iraqi airports. The disruption sparked immediate protests outside Najaf International Airport as well as in Nasiriya, Karbala, and Amarah.
Baghdad Secures Washington Waiver
Direct negotiations between Baghdad and Washington ultimately yielded the requested exemption for religious pilgrimages, medical treatment, and educational travel.
Prime Minister al-Zaidi welcomed the cooperation from the United States government, describing air travel as a crucial bridge of communication between peoples.
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein added that the restoration of flights reinforces an Iraqi-US partnership built on mutual respect and an understanding of religious freedom.
Northern and Central Hubs Remain Grounded
Despite the resumption of flights to Najaf, restrictions remain firmly in place at Baghdad, Erbil, and Sulaimaniyah airports.
Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh noted that passenger volume between the two nations normally runs between 12,000 and 13,000 travelers daily across roughly 25 flights to Najaf and 15 to Baghdad. With flights to northern and central Iraqi hubs still grounded, travelers are routinely forced into land journeys lasting at least 12 hours.
Mahan Air Excluded as Sanctions Defense Holds
Mahan Air remains entirely excluded from the newly brokered agreement.
The United States maintains that the privately operated Iranian airline, designated under sanctions since 2011, provides financial, material, and technological support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, along with transporting personnel, weapons, and drones. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry criticized the extraterritorial enforcement of US sanctions as illegal and disruptive to trade and transport.
Unresolved Transit Questions
Diplomatic channels have successfully restored a primary corridor for religious pilgrims visiting sacred sites in Najaf and Iran, yet the exemption has not been verified with representatives in Washington.
It remains unknown when or if commercial flights will resume at the remaining suspended airports in Baghdad, Erbil, and Sulaimaniyah, leaving thousands of passengers dependent on ongoing bilateral talks and land transit corridors.