Iraq resumes direct flights with Iran after political and social pressures

Published at: 05/10/2026 12:33 PM

The Ministry of Transport of Iraq announced the resumption of direct flights by the national airline to the Islamic Republic of Iran starting on October 8, re-establishing the air connection between Najaf International Airport and the Iranian cities of Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan, according to official sources and international news agencies.

The measure reverses the decision taken weeks ago by the Iraqi authorities to suspend air traffic, a restriction motivated by threats of secondary sanctions issued by the United States (US) Department of the Treasury against Iranian airlines and their global service providers.

The operational restoration responds to the firm demand of political sectors, social movements and forces of the Iraqi Resistance, who described the interruption of connections as a serious strategic error threatening the nation's sovereignty and threatened to take over air terminals to force the normalization of bilateral operations.

With the reopening of these interconnected routes, the aeronautical institutions of both countries seek to guarantee the free movement of passengers and mobility to shared religious venues, strengthening commercial and air transport exchange between the two sovereign peoples in the face of coercive pressures from the U.S. Government.

Mazo News Team