Iraqi Airways to Resume Iran Flights in October after Securing Special Exemption

Iraqi Airways is preparing to resume flights to ​Iran in October, Iraq's transport ministry said on ‌Tuesday, following a suspension of flights amid US sanctions restricting services to Iranian airlines. The ministry said Iraq had secured a ​special exemption allowing Iraqi Airways to operate services ​to Iran. Iraq halted flights to and from Iran ⁠on Friday in line with US sanctions, and the ​government had sought exemptions for travel related to pilgrimage, ​medical treatment and education.

The transport ministry said services next month would initially operate from the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf once regulatory ​and technical requirements were completed. A source in the ​Iraqi transport ministry said the exemption was provided by the US ‌Treasury ⁠and would run for one month. The number of allowed flights has not yet been determined, the source said. The announcement comes after Reuters reported on Monday that the ​Trump administration ​was set to ⁠grant a one-month US Treasury waiver allowing Iraqi Airways to fly between Iran and ​Najaf, with a more permanent exemption potentially following.

Baghdad ​had ⁠offered safeguards including passenger screening and information sharing, as well as measures to prevent the flights being used to ⁠transport ​weapons, sanctioned individuals or illicit ​money, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. - Reuters