Flights between Iraq’s Najaf and Iran resumed as Tehran protests US curbs

What Happened

Iraqi Airways resumed commercial flights between Najaf and Iranian airports on Monday, according to Iraq's state-run Iraqi News Agency. The resumption followed temporary suspensions at Najaf and three other Iraqi airports driven by fears of US secondary sanctions targeting aviation services linked to Tehran. The Iraqi flag carrier's move allows it to bypass standoffs with international contractors whose concerns over secondary penalties had halted handling services for flights connected to Iran. Meanwhile, Iran filed a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over US aviation sanctions, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported. Abuzar Shiroudi, chief of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, said coordinated efforts are underway with Iran's Foreign Ministry to resume flights legally. Shiroudi claimed the ICAO had ruled in Iran's favour regarding Iran's formal protest over US aviation sanctions, though the article provided no independent confirmation of that ruling. Shiroudi also said Tehran had filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice in The Hague over attacks on airports, aircraft and radar systems, and that the case remains under review. US sanctions on Iranian airlines came into force on September 23, placing foreign airports and companies that service sanctioned Iranian carriers at risk of secondary sanctions. According to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, the CEO of Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport said flights to East Asia are operating without cancellations, while airports in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Oman and the UAE have recently cancelled flights by Iranian airlines.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The resumption of Iraqi Airways flights between Najaf and Iran shows how third-country carriers can become alternative corridors when Iran's own airlines face sanctions, and it highlights the secondary-sanctions pressure on regional aviation. Iran's use of ICAO and the International Court of Justice signals an effort to challenge US sanctions through multilateral legal and regulatory channels rather than only through diplomatic or economic countermeasures. The situation also underscores Iraq's delicate position between Washington and Tehran, with Iraqi aviation decisions rippling through regional connectivity and sanctions enforcement.

Watch For

Monitor whether Iraqi Airways expands operations beyond Najaf to other Iranian routes, and whether other airports in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Oman or the UAE resume or continue suspensions after their own reviews. Watch for diplomatic responses to Iran's requests for explanations from countries that halted routes, any public confirmation or denial of the ICAO ruling attributed to Iran, and developments in the International Court of Justice case over attacks on airports, aircraft and radar systems. The status of US secondary-sanctions enforcement after the September 23 measures and any Iraqi request for a US exemption will also shape the next phase.