Iraq grants Iranian airlines 40 daily Najaf flights after US exemption
Mahan Air is excluded from the agreement as Baghdad says Washington granted its request for a waiver.
The Iraqi government has approved forty daily flights for Iranian carriers into Najaf, a move that quietly redraws the region's aviation map. The exemption for Mahan Air, however, is the detail that matters most. Baghdad's announcement that Washington granted its waiver request turns what might have been a routine bilateral agreement into a calibrated diplomatic signal.
Mahan Air has long been a point of friction in U.S.-Iran relations, with Washington sanctioning the carrier for its role in transporting military personnel and equipment. Its exclusion from the Najaf arrangement is not an oversight. It is the price of American tolerance, and both Tehran and Baghdad understand the arithmetic.
For Iraq, the deal is a balancing act. The country needs Iranian commercial connectivity, particularly for religious tourism to Najaf, one of Shia Islam's holiest cities. But it also needs to keep its financial system and airspace clear of U.S. penalties. The waiver mechanism allows Baghdad to satisfy both constituencies without openly choosing sides.
For Iran, the forty daily slots represent a significant expansion of its aviation footprint in Iraq, a market that has become increasingly vital as international sanctions limit its reach elsewhere. The exclusion of Mahan Air is a concession, but the overall agreement still gives Tehran a strategic foothold in a neighboring state's airspace.
The timing is also telling. The U.S. exemption arrives amid ongoing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and regional behavior. By granting this waiver, Washington signals a willingness to compartmentalize issues, allowing economic and religious traffic to proceed while keeping pressure on specific entities. It is a narrow door, but it is open.
For observers of the region, the story is less about flight schedules and more about the mechanics of leverage. Iraq has secured a practical benefit, Iran has gained access, and the United States has preserved its red lines. The arrangement is a reminder that in the Middle East, even routine aviation deals are rarely just about aviation.