The Iraqi government says it is in talks with the United States to secure an exemption from Washington’s ban on Iranian airlines, a move that has disrupted travel for patients, students and religious pilgrims.
The ban has been enforced at Iraqi airports since this week, causing significant disruption, particularly at Najaf International Airport, a major destination for Iranian flights into Iraq.
Iraq’s Prime Minister’s Media Office said the government was holding direct discussions with US authorities to exempt certain Iraqi airports from the measures.
According to the government, such an exemption would allow flights to resume for humanitarian purposes, including medical treatment, education, religious visits and other civilian needs.
Iranian airlines transport Iraqi Shia pilgrims to Iran’s holy cities and Iranian visitors to sacred sites in Iraq. They also serve Iraqi students studying in Iran and patients travelling to the country for medical treatment.
The enforcement of the US sanctions has left some Iraqis searching for alternative means of transportation. Some patients fear losing access to medical treatment in Iran, while others stranded there have reportedly been forced to consider journeys of more than 12 hours by road to return home.
Iraq is among several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, that have begun enforcing the US restrictions after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iranian airlines would be “shut down” globally.
Iraq and Iran, both Shia-majority countries, have maintained close relations for decades because of religious, political and economic ties.
Iraqi airlines had already suspended flights to Iran at the beginning of the Middle East war in February.
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