There has been a push to prevent Iranian airlines from flying to various countries as part of the US campaign against Iran.
This has been largely successful, and Iran has stopped flying to many places. But one country stands out.
Iraqi leaders tend to have close ties with Iran. They have also historically helped Iran, including helping it evade sanctions.
Iraq is continuing to allow Iranian flights by using a workaround for the US policy and routing all the flights to the holy city of Najaf. The concept is that the flights can now pose as “pilgrimage” flights for Shi’ites.
It appears that the US will accept this for now. US forces left Iraq last Wednesday. Washington has no interest in having a crisis with Baghdad over the flights.
Iraq “announced on Friday that it had secured a US sanctions waiver allowing Iranian carriers to operate up to 40 flights daily to and from Najaf International Airport, excluding Mahan Air, a week after flights were suspended,” Rudaw Media Network, a news channel in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, reported.
Iraqi PM praises US cooperation on Najaf flight exemption
The goal is to ease “travel for passengers, particularly for humanitarian, medical, tourism and educational purposes,” the report said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has supported this. His efforts “resulted in an agreement allowing Iranian airlines to operate 40 daily flights to and from Najaf International Airport, with the exception of Mahan Air,” his office reported.
The agreement is “part of the governmental efforts aimed at facilitating the movement of travelers and visitors arriving in Iraq or departing from it, and supporting humanitarian, medical, tourism, and educational aspects, and with persistent follow-up by [Prime Minister] Ali Falih al-Zaidi, regarding the file to resume flights for Iranian airlines to and from Najaf International Airport, through a series of communications and follow-ups with the relevant parties,” the office said.
Zaidi said he appreciates the US in this context, describing Washington’s response as positive, he office said, adding: “This cooperation reflects the importance of dialogue and understanding in addressing files with a humanitarian dimension, and confirms that diplomatic channels and responsible communication are capable of finding practical solutions that take into account people’s interests and needs.”
The Iraqi statement did not specify why the airline was excluded from the waiver.
Iranian Mahan Air sanctioned since 2011 over IRGC activity
Rudaw Media Network reported: “Mahan Air has been under US sanctions since 2011 over what Washington says is its support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force... including transporting personnel, weapons, and military equipment.”
“Commercial flights between Iran and Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, were suspended last week as Iraqi airports moved to comply with tightened US sanctions targeting Tehran’s aviation sector,” the report said.
“The agreement follows an earlier measure on Tuesday, when the US Treasury Department granted Iraqi Airways a highly restrictive license to operate flights between Najaf and Iran for religious pilgrims, valid until the authorized transactions are completed or October 28, whichever comes first,” it added.
Iraq’s ability to navigate US sanctions is important. It shows how Baghdad is trying to hedge, working with the US after the US withdrawal and also working with Iran.
Iraq is very much a center of the chessboard in the region as Iran seeks to expand its influence and threats. Iran is also suffering setbacks at sea, and Tehran wants to keep a firm grip on Iraq.