Iraqi Airways Resumes Flights Between Najaf and Tehran Following Temporary Disruption

Iraqi Airways has officially resumed its direct flight operations between Najaf and Tehran following a temporary suspension of cross-border air travel. The inaugural return flight departed from Najaf International Airport and successfully touched down at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran. Officials confirmed that this route will maintain regular round-trip service to accommodate ongoing cross-border transit between the two neighboring countries.\n\nIn an official statement, Iraqi Airways emphasized that the resumption seeks to ease passenger transit and strengthen regional connectivity, particularly for religious tourism, medical treatment, and academic travel. The Iraqi Ministry of Transport noted that the decision followed high-level negotiations by the Baghdad government to preserve crucial air corridors with Iran, securing a limited waiver concerning broader sanctions frameworks to keep reciprocal operations active.\n\nDirect air connections between the two nations faced severe disruptions in late September after expanded United States sanctions targeted Iranian aviation carriers, leading to flight suspensions across Iraqi airports that handle Iranian traffic. Following bilateral diplomacy, Baghdad secured an initial arrangement allowing Iranian airlines—with the explicit exclusion of Mahan Air—to operate up to 40 collective flights per day connecting to Najaf, with Iranian planes resuming arrivals earlier this week.\n\nConcurrently, Iranian flag carrier Iran Air (Homa) announced the full restoration of its scheduled routes connecting Iran and Karachi, Pakistan. According to commercial operations officials, weekly flights will now run directly between Tehran and Karachi, alongside regular connections linking Mashhad to the Pakistani port city, illustrating ongoing regional efforts by Tehran to counter international aviation restrictions and maintain commercial connectivity.