Iraq halts Iran flights at Najaf Airport until further notice

Iraq’s Najaf International Airport suspended all flights to and from Iran from 2 a.m. local time on September 25 until further notice, airport management announced.

The airport said the suspension followed official instructions from the relevant authorities. It directed airlines and flight operations bodies to halt activities related to the affected services and said it would notify carriers of any instructions allowing flights to resume, Iran International reports.

Airport director Hussein al-Muhanna had earlier said services between Najaf and Iran were operating normally while management awaited official orders.

The suspension follows an announcement by Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization that Baghdad airport had stopped accepting flights operated by Iranian airlines.

Najaf is one of Shia Islam’s holiest cities, home to the shrine of Shiite Imam Ali and a major centre of religious learning. For many Iranian pilgrims, it is also a gateway to nearby Karbala, where third Shiite Imam, Hussein, is buried. The suspension disrupts a key pilgrimage route and travel between Iran and Iraq’s Shia religious centres.

By Vafa Guliyeva