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Iraq's Najaf International Airport is set to resume flights with Iran on Sunday, starting with three evening flights, after the United States granted a limited exemption to its sanctions program targeting Iranian aviation.
The airport administration announced the restart on Saturday following a days-long suspension of Iranian flight traffic, according to a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency. Iranian flight volume is expected to increase gradually over the coming days, depending on airline scheduling.
The resumption follows an agreement announced Friday by the Iraqi prime minister's media office, which will permit Iranian airlines to operate up to 40 flights daily to and from Najaf International Airport. Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier, is excluded from the arrangement.
Officials said the deal is meant to ease travel between the two countries and support humanitarian needs, medical treatment, tourism and education. Najaf's airport serves large numbers of Iranian travelers each year, many visiting Shiite religious sites in the city.
Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Zaidi welcomed what he called the "positive response" from the United States to Iraq's efforts, crediting Washington's cooperation in granting the requested exemption.
The waiver comes after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions last month aimed at preventing Iranian airlines from flying to various countries.
The measures are part of a wider American economic pressure campaign against Iran, which has continued alongside mediated efforts to end the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic that began on Feb. 28.
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