Iraqi Airways receives special permission to restart Iran flights

Iraqi Airways will resume flights to Iran in October after receiving special permission to operate services to and from the country, Iraq’s Ministry of Transport has said.

The flights will operate only from Najaf International Airport, and will resume once all necessary conditions have been met, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The ministry said air services with Iran were suspended on September 23. The planned Iraqi Airways flights will be the carrier’s first to Iran since March, when it suspended services amid fighting in the region.

Earlier it was reported that Iraqi authorities were seeking US permission to partially resume flights to Iran from Najaf.

The United States imposed sanctions on 35 airlines and other aviation companies linked to Iran on September 8. 

On September 21, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iranian airlines would have to stop international flights from September 23 because of US sanctions, which also threaten foreign partners of Tehran.

By Aghakazim Guliyev