U.S. Sanctions Waiver Enables First Foreign Flight to Tehran
Iraqi Airways operated the first foreign commercial flight into Tehran since the Middle East war began following a targeted U.S. sanctions waiver.
An Iraqi Airways flight landed at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran on Thursday, marking the first time a foreign commercial airline has entered Iran since the start of the Middle East war. The round-trip service from Najaf, Iraq, was enabled by a specific sanctions waiver granted by the United States government for pilgrims traveling between the two cities.
In a separate agreement, the U.S. permitted most Iranian airlines to operate daily flights to Najaf, though Mahan Air remains excluded from this arrangement. These concessions follow a period of strict U.S. restrictions imposed on the Iranian aviation industry last month, which prompted several nations to ban Iranian carriers and led to widespread flight cancellations.
Iran responded to the sanctions by filing a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organisation in late September. While some international routes remain open, the United Arab Emirates has suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines.
