Shafaq News- Najaf

Iraqi Airways has resumed direct flights from Najaf to Iran, with daily services to Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan, the national carrier said on Thursday.

According to the airline management, the first flight departed from Najaf International Airport for Tehran, following efforts by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to restore direct air links between the two neighboring countries.

The daily services are expected to ease travel between Iraq and Iran, particularly for passengers traveling for religious, medical and educational purposes, it added.

Najaf, along with other Iraqi airports, suspended flights to and from Iran on Sept. 25 following official instructions, amid fallout from US Treasury sanctions imposed on Sept. 8 against 36 Iran-linked aviation targets, including 27 airlines.

On Sept. 29, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) granted Iraqi Airways a special license to operate passenger services between Iraq and Iran through Najaf, subject to specific restrictions.

Read more: Iranian flights resume at Najaf after weeklong suspension