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US to grant sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf, source says

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The Straits Times. (2026, September 28). US to grant sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf, source says. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/us-to-grant-sanctions-waiver-for-flights-between-iran-and-iraqs-najaf-source-says

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

The Straits Times · collected 2026-09-28 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

The US plans to grant a sanctions waiver allowing Iraqi Airways to operate flights between Iran and Najaf in Iraq for religious pilgrims, according to an informed source. The one-month exemption is aimed at easing pressure on Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of Iraq, who must balance relations with both the US and Iran. Other countries like Turkey and the UAE have already canceled direct flights to Iran due to US sanctions, leading Iraqi officials to request this specific travel exemption for religious purposes.
Written by AI on 2026-09-28, 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 2026-10-31, 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 leans left and hedges 7% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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“The articles describe different aspects of sanctions against Iran: Article A discusses border blockades and their economic impact, while Article B mentions a specific sanction waiver for religious flights between Iran and Iraq.”
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⚖️ Leans right further right than this Hedges 1 of 20 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different actions taken by US regarding aviation sanctions between Iran and Iraq: halting flights in Article A and granting a waiver for religious pilgrims' flights in Article B.”
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Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different actions related to US sanctions on Iran's aviation sector: Article A mentions Iraq halting Iranian flights, while Article B reports a planned US waiver for religious pilgrim flights between Iran and Najaf.”
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“The articles describe different actions by US officials regarding Iran sanctions: Article A mentions efforts to isolate Iran economically and new restrictions on airlines, while Article B reports a planned waiver allowing flights for religious pilgrims.”
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“While both articles discuss US sanctions on Iran's aviation industry, they describe different aspects: Article A covers the broader impact and initial implementation of sanctions, while Article B reports a specific waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf.”
Iran war live: Trump says he did not offer Tehran sanctions relief Different event
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“Article A discusses a sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq, while Article B reports on Trump's denial of offering Tehran sanctions relief at a different time.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
14
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
7%
1 of 14 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
The Straits Times'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 2026-09-28 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Straits Times · 4070 article(s) · 5 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 5 correction(s)
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Topics

Iran Iraq Iraqi Najaf Shi'ite

Subjects

Iran GPE · 14× Iraq GPE · 13× Najaf GPE · 4× Iraqi NORP · 3× Shi'ite NORP · 3× Iranian NORP · 2× Washington GPE · 2× Zaidi PERSON · 2× Donald Trump PERSON · 1× Shi'ite Muslim NORP · 1×

Narrative

US to grant sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf, source says Sept 28 - US President Donald Trump's administration was set to grant a limited waiver to its Iran sanctions program on Monday to allow for flights carrying Shi'ite Muslim religious pilgrims between Iran and Iraq, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-28
🔮 US to grant sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf, source says Sept 28 - US President Donald Trump's administration was set to grant a limited waiver to its Iran sanctions program on Monday to allow for flights carrying Shi'ite Muslim religious pilgrims between Iran and Iraq, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.
2026-09-28 · The Straits Times
US to grant sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf, source says · assertive framing

Claims (14 extracted, 1 hedged)

US to grant sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf, source says Sept 28 - US President Donald Trump's administration was set to grant a limited waiver to its Iran sanctions program on Monday to allow for flights carrying Shi'ite Muslim religious pilgrims between Iran and Iraq, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. asserted
person → grant → matter
The source, who is involved in the deliberations, said the US Treasury Department waiver would allow Iraqi Airways to fly back and forth between Iran and the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf in Iraq for one month, with a more permanent waiver potentially following. asserted
waiver → involve → month
Iraq halted flights to and from Iran on Friday, in line with US sanctions. asserted
Iraq → halt → sanctions
The source said the move aimed to ease pressure on the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who has sought to deepen ties with Washington while also balancing a strong relationship with Iraq's influential neighbour, Iran. asserted
who → say → neighbour
Trump's effort to impose a crippling economic blockade on Iran is forcing regional governments to scale back ties with Iran, creating potential backlash against those states, particularly those that balance their ties with both Washington and Tehran. asserted
that → impose → Washington
Zaidi's office over the weekend said that Iraq was seeking an exemption for travel between Iran and Iraq for medical treatment, education and pilgrimage. asserted
Iraq → say → treatment
An Iraqi official said the Iraqi government was in talks with the US about the Najaf exemption and expected flights between Iran and Najaf to resume within 48 hours. asserted
flights → say → hours
The US State Department referred questions to the Treasury Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. asserted
which → refer → comment
In recent days, countries including Turkey, the UAE and Iraq have cancelled direct flights with Iran as a result of US pressure. asserted
countries → include → pressure
In response, Iranian officials have threatened to halt regional air travel if Iran's air links continued to be cut. asserted
links → threaten → travel
With Shi'ite religious pilgrims travelling between Iran and Iraq each year to visit key shrine cities, Iraq is perhaps in the most sensitive position. asserted
Iraq → travel → position
Najaf, a center for religious study, draws millions of pilgrims a year to the shrine of Imam Ali, the first Shi'ite leader, and the world’s largest and oldest active Islamic cemetery. asserted
Najaf → draw → Ali
The source said that barring flights between the two countries could cause severe backlash against Iraq's government by uniting Shi'ites who follow Iran's supreme leader and those who follow Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, undermining US efforts to reduce Iranian influence in Iraq. uncertain
who → say → Iraq
Zaidi has offered to provide safeguards for the flights, including rigorous screening and information sharing as well as ensuring the flights are not used for transfer of weapons, sanctioned individuals or illicit money, the source said. asserted
source → offer → weapons
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