Iraq Seeks US Exemption After Airports Halt Iran Flights

Iraq is in direct talks with Washington seeking exemptions from US measures targeting companies that do business with Iranian airlines, after Iraqi airports suspended flights to and from Iran.

Al Jazeera reported that Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah had halted the services by Friday, while Reuters cited sources and state media saying three Iraqi airports were suspending Iranian flights. Iraq’s prime minister’s office said Saturday that exemptions would allow flights to resume on humanitarian grounds, including medical treatment, education, religious visits and other civilian needs.

The suspensions followed new US aviation sanctions and prompted cancellations of Iran-linked flights across the region. Several outlets reported that a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader responded with an ultimatum that regional flights should be available “for all or for none.”

The flight halt has forced some travelers onto land journeys lasting at least 12 hours. Air links between Iraq and Iran serve students, residents and Shia Muslim pilgrims traveling to religious sites in both countries.

Demonstrators opposed to the suspensions gathered in Baghdad on Saturday in a protest organized by Iran-allied Iraqi militias. Scholars and students from the Hawza of Najaf also held a vigil. Iraq’s ambassador to Tehran, Yasser al-Hajjaj, described the suspension as temporary and said officials were working to restore normal air traffic.