Trump administration considers waiver to allow Iraqi flights for pilgrimage in Iran - report

What Happened

The Trump administration is weighing a limited, one-month waiver to its Iran sanctions regime that would allow Iraqi Airways to operate flights to and from the Shiite holy city of Najaf, with a possible more permanent waiver to follow, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deliberations. The US Treasury Department would issue the waiver. The move follows Iraq's order to its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad airport starting September 22, as reported by Reuters, after the United States threatened to sanction any airport that services Iranian carriers. Iranian officials responded with threats: Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said any country cooperating with the US would have its airports unable to operate flights, and adviser Mohammad Mokhber said that if Iran is denied flight access no country in the region will have it either. Iranian airlines were barred from the UAE and Oman on Thursday following the new US sanctions.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The decision sits at the intersection of US sanctions enforcement on Iranian civil aviation, Iraq's dependence on both Washington and Tehran, and Iran's willingness to threaten neighboring states' airport infrastructure. It tests whether the Trump administration will carve out religious pilgrimage from maximum pressure while Iran escalates rhetoric, raising risks of disruption to Gulf aviation and potential retaliatory action against US partners like the UAE and Oman.

Watch For

Monitor whether the Treasury Department formally issues the one-month waiver and any follow-on permanent authorization for Iraqi Airways. Watch for Iraqi Airways scheduling Najaf flights, Iraqi compliance with the September 22 suspension, Iranian statements or actions targeting UAE and Omani airports, and any additional US sanctions designations against Iranian carriers or enablers.