US grants waiver for Iranian flights at Najaf Airport

Najaf (IraqiNews.com) – An informed Iraqi government source revealed on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the operational circumstances behind the U.S. administration’s acceptance of an exemption request submitted by Baghdad regarding restrictions on Iranian commercial aviation at Najaf International Airport. Speaking to Shafaq News Agency, the source explained that while major commercial airports across Iraq rely on international ground-handling contractors bound by U.S. Department of the Treasury directives prohibiting U.S. dollar transactions with Iranian air carriers, Najaf International Airport operates under a distinct administrative model staffed entirely by Iraqi personnel, enabling logistical fee settlements in alternative currencies such as the euro, Iraqi dinar, or Iranian toman. Administratively detached from the federal Ministry of Transport, Najaf International Airport operates as an autonomous operational directorate under the local government of Najaf Governorate. The facility had continued rendering ground handling, baggage, and refueling services to Iranian airlines until a U.S. Treasury enforcement notice led the Governor of Najaf to issue an administrative directive halting services to avoid exposing the airport to secondary sanctions. However, following formal representations directed by Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi—who tasked the Minister of Foreign Affairs with negotiating a targeted waiver with U.S. officials—a pathway was cleared allowing the Council of Ministers or the local governorate administration to issue an executive order authorizing the resumption of ground services without triggering international penal measures. Despite the breakthrough in waiver negotiations, conflicting reports persist on the tarmac regarding immediate flight resumption. While national carrier Iraqi Airways issued a brief statement announcing the restart of scheduled flights to Iranian destinations via Najaf, high-level airport authorities and federal aviation officials confirmed later Tuesday that ground operations for Iranian airlines remain technically paused pending formal ministerial ratification. Because global ground-handling contractors operating across Baghdad, Erbil, and Basra airports remain barred from processing dollar-denominated aviation fees under U.S. secondary sanctions, Najaf’s sovereign operational structure positions it as Iraq’s primary transit gateway capable of handling bilateral pilgrim traffic and regional commercial flights through non-dollar financial settlements.