Iraq has granted Iranian airlines 40 daily flights to the city of Najaf after the United States issued a sanctions exemption, Baghdad said. Mahan Air is excluded from the arrangement. Iraqi officials said Washington granted the waiver at Baghdad's request. Iraq has granted Iranian airlines 40 daily flights to the holy city of Najaf after the United States issued a sanctions waiver covering the route, Iraqi officials said. The exemption allows increased air traffic between the two countries despite broader US sanctions on Iran's aviation sector. Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier long under US sanctions, is excluded from the new arrangement.

Officials in Baghdad said the waiver was granted at Iraq's own request, framing the move as a practical step to accommodate religious pilgrims and travelers rather than a broader shift in sanctions policy. Najaf is a major destination for Shia pilgrims, including large numbers of Iranian visitors, and additional flight capacity is expected to ease travel between the two countries. The arrangement underscores Washington's selective use of exemptions even as sanctions on Iran's airlines remain largely in place. Read next UK Says Iran Was Involved in RAF Fairford Security Scare UK Prime Minister Burnham said Britain believes Iran was involved in a security scare at RAF Fairford, an airbase used by US forces. Iran's foreign minister rejected the claim, saying the prime minister was "barking up the wrong tree."

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