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Iraq seeks US exemption from ban on Iranian flights

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Al Jazeera Staff. (2026, September 26). Iraq seeks US exemption from ban on Iranian flights. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/26/iraq-seeks-us-exemption-from-ban-on-iranian-flights?traffic_source=rss

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Al Jazeera · collected 2026-09-26 · by Al Jazeera Staff

Quick Summary

Iraq is negotiating with the United States to exempt some of its airports from recent US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines. Four Iraqi airports halted flights to Iran following the sanctions announcement. Baghdad seeks exemptions for humanitarian reasons such as medical treatment, education, and religious visits. The move has disrupted travel between the two countries, straining relations given their shared Shia Muslim heritage and extensive cultural ties.
Written by AI on 2026-09-26, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On September 23, 2026, the U.S. announced sanctions against Iranian airlines, disrupting travel between Iran and Iraq. Four major Iraqi airports halted all flights to and from Iran in compliance with these sanctions. This action significantly impacted Shia pilgrims traveling for religious visits, students studying across borders, and patients seeking medical treatment.

In response, Iraq began direct talks with the U.S., requesting exemptions that would allow humanitarian flights, including those for medical treatment and education, to resume. The Iraqi government emphasized the importance of these travel routes due to cultural ties between Shia-majority countries.

On September 28, sources close to President Donald Trump's administration indicated a limited waiver would be granted for flights specifically carrying religious pilgrims between Iran and Iraq’s Najaf city for one month. Following this announcement, commercial flights resumed on Monday at the Najaf airport, allowing up to 40 daily Iranian flights excluding Mahan Air.

Iraqi officials stated that this move appreciates U.S. cooperation in addressing Iraqi needs while also facilitating communication links between the two nations. Additionally, Iran's ambassador highlighted that roughly 12,000 to 13,000 people travel daily via these airlines, underscoring the significant impact of the suspension on both countries' populations.

Written for “US Exemption For Iraqi Flights” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 US Exemption For Iraqi Flights
Politics · 6 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Hindu
Hedges 0 of 9 claims Outlet record 60/100
National Post
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 4 of 23 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe related events but different occurrences: one reports on Iranian airlines canceling flights due to new U.S. sanctions, while the other discusses Iraq seeking exemptions from those sanctions for its airports.”
Al Jazeera
Hedges 2 of 18 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe related events involving Iran and US sanctions, but they do not report on the same specific incident. Article A focuses on Iran's seven-day roadmap to end its conflict with the United States, while Article B discusses Iraq seeking an exemption from US aviation sanctions affecting Iranian flights.”
The Straits Times
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 14 claims Outlet record 66/100
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
“While both articles discuss Iraq halting flights from Iran and the US sanctions, Article A focuses on Iran's threat in response to the ban, while Article B reports on Iraq seeking an exemption from the US for some of its airports.”
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 1 of 20 claims Outlet record 60/100
“While both articles discuss Iraqi airports halting Iranian flights due to new US sanctions, Article B focuses on Iraq seeking a US exemption from the ban, which appears to be a subsequent development rather than the initial event reported in Article A.”
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 12 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A reports on the cancellation of flights from Iran to Baghdad and Muscat ahead of US sanctions, while Article B discusses subsequent Iraqi efforts to seek exemptions for its airports from these sanctions.”
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 13 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A discusses Iraq seeking an exemption for some of its airports from U.S. measures targeting Iranian flights, while Article B reports on the resumption of flights specifically between Najaf and Iran after a suspension.”
Deutsche Welle
Hedges 3 of 40 claims Outlet record 95/100
“The articles discuss related issues but describe different aspects and timespans regarding US sanctions on Iran's aviation sector.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
17
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 17 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
60/100
Al Jazeera's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
6
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-26 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Al Jazeera · 4625 article(s) · 2 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 2 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Al Jazeera Staff
814 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by Al Jazeera Staff
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
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Topics

Baghdad Iran Iranian Iraq Iraqi

Subjects

Iraq GPE · 12× Iran GPE · 11× Iraqi NORP · 8× Baghdad GPE · 7× Iranian NORP · 7× Najaf GPE · 2× Shia NORP · 2× Washington GPE · 2× 3Iran ORG · 1× United States GPE · 1×

Narrative

The statement by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s media office added that Baghdad was working to de-escalate regional tensions, warning that “the continuation of crises further complicates the situation”. It called on all parties to pursue dialogue and negotiations to end the current crisis and conflicts in the interests of the region’s countries and peoples. With Iran flights halted at airports in Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah, passengers have now been forced onto land journeys of at least 12 hours.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-26
🔮 The Iraqi prime minister’s office said on Saturday that US exemptions for Baghdad would allow flights to resume “on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits, and the interests of civilians”.
2026-09-26 · Al Jazeera
Iraq seeks US exemption from ban on Iranian flights · assertive framing

Claims (17 extracted, 0 hedged)

Iraq is in direct talks with Washington as it seeks to exempt some of its airports from United States measures targeting Iranian airline flights in the region. asserted
it → seek → region
Four Iraqi airports suspended all flights to and from Iran on Friday, days after Washington announced new aviation sanctions on any global company doing business with Iranian airlines. Recommended Stories list of 3 items- list 1 of 3Iran cancels Baghdad, Muscat flights as US aviation sanctions take effect - list 2 of 3Iraqi airports halt Iranian flights after new US aviation sanctions - list 3 of 3Iran war squeezes Iraq’s economy as oil revenues fall and prices rise asserted
prices → suspend → economy
The Iraqi prime minister’s office said on Saturday that US exemptions for Baghdad would allow flights to resume “on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits, and the interests of civilians”. asserted
flights → say → civilians
The statement by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s media office added that Baghdad was working to de-escalate regional tensions, warning that “the continuation of crises further complicates the situation”. It called on all parties to pursue dialogue and negotiations to end the current crisis and conflicts in the interests of the region’s countries and peoples. With Iran flights halted at airports in Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah, passengers have now been forced onto land journeys of at least 12 hours. asserted
passengers → add → hours
Neighbours Iraq and Iran are both Shia-majority countries, and flights to and from Najaf in particular carry Iraqi Shia Muslim pilgrims to Iran’s holy cities or Iranians visiting sacred sites in Iraq. asserted
flights → carry → Iraq
Iraq ‘squeezed between’ US and Iran On Saturday, a large number of demonstrators gathered on the streets of Baghdad in opposition to the flight suspensions, in a protest organised by Iran-allied Iraqi militias. asserted
number → squeeze → militias
Dozens of scholars and students from the Hawza of Najaf, the oldest and most influential Shia seminary in the world, held a vigil on Saturday evening against the suspension of Iranian flights to Iraq, Shafaq News reported. asserted
News → hold → Iraq
Reading out a statement, the seminary’s Scholarly Assembly condemned the halt of flights, saying it came when “the peoples of the region are most in need of strengthening the bonds of brotherhood”, and urged the government to “maintain the independence and sovereignty of Iraqi decision-making”. asserted
peoples → read → making
Iraq’s ambassador to Tehran, Yasser al-Hajjaj, said that the suspension of flights between the two countries would be temporary and not affect relations. asserted
suspension → say → relations
Speaking to Iraq’s state news agency, he said Baghdad was in contact with Iranian authorities to restore normal air traffic as soon as possible. asserted
Baghdad → speak → traffic
Iraqi-Iranian ties are “too deep to be affected by a temporary crisis”, he said, pointing to about 100,000 Iraqi students at Iranian institutions, an Iraqi community of hundreds of thousands living in Iran, and thousands of daily crossings. asserted
he → affect → crossings
Separately, the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh, said officials from the two countries are in contact and a new decision on flights is likely to be announced soon, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported. asserted
agency → say → flights
“Iraq is in a difficult situation, allied both to America and to Iran. asserted
Iraq → ally → Iran
At times like this, it is squeezed between the two,” said Al Jazeera’s Jack Hewson, reporting from Baghdad. asserted
Hewson → squeeze → Baghdad
“Some blame Iran for this, feeling that Iran is too controlling of Iraq. asserted
Iran → blame → Iraq
Others blame the US and Israel for having started the war in the first place,” he added. asserted
he → blame → place
“Either way, Iraq remains in a very delicate position between all of these larger and more powerful states, continuing to suffer economic consequences and the fallout itself.” asserted
Iraq → remain → consequences
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