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

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Flights between Iraq’s Najaf and Iran resumed as Tehran protests US curbs. (2026, September 28). Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/28/flights-between-iraqs-najaf-and-iran-resumed-as-tehran-protests-us-curbs?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 2026-09-28

Quick Summary

Iraqi Airways has resumed commercial flights between Najaf and Iran after a temporary suspension due to US sanctions concerns. The move comes as Iran files a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over these sanctions, alleging that ICAO rulings favor Iran's position. Additionally, Iran is seeking legal action through the International Court of Justice regarding attacks on its aviation infrastructure and has filed diplomatic complaints about halted flight routes in multiple countries.
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 15% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
US to grant sanctions waiver for flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf, source says Same event
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⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 14 claims Outlet record 66/100
Iraqi airports halt Iranian flights after new US aviation sanctions Different event
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans right further right than this Hedges 1 of 20 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different actions: one reports Iraqi airports halting flights, while the other reports a resumption of flights between Najaf and Iran.”
Iran threatens widespread disruption as Iraq halts Iran flights Different event
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different phases of a broader situation involving Iraqi and Iranian flights, but do not report on the exact same occurrence.”
US sanctions 10 entities for allegedly supporting Iran’s military Different event
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⚖️ Leans right further right than this Hedges 3 of 22 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A discusses the resumption of flights between Iraq's Najaf and Iranian airports, while Article B reports on new US sanctions targeting entities supporting Iran’s military. These are different events despite both involving issues with Iran.”
Iran awaits US move after WSJ report says Trump rejects peace plan Different event
The Straits Times
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 4 of 28 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different events related to Iran-US tensions, one regarding a rejected peace plan and another about resumed flights between Iraq and Iran due to sanctions.”
Iraq grants Iranian airlines 40 daily Najaf flights after US exemption Different event
Al Jazeera
Hedges 2 of 19 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe related but different events: one about resuming flights after a suspension and another about agreeing to a new flight quota with US exemption, occurring on different days.”
Iraq seeks exemption from U.S. ban on Iran airlines Different event
The Hindu
Hedges 0 of 9 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A discusses Iraq seeking an exemption from the U.S. ban on Iranian airlines, while Article B reports that flights have resumed between Najaf and Iran after being suspended due to the ban.”
US sanctions on Iran's aviation industry make travel less predictable as countries cancel flights Different event
Deutsche Welle
Hedges 3 of 40 claims Outlet record 95/100
“While both articles discuss US sanctions affecting Iran's aviation sector, Article A focuses on the broader impact and details of the sanctions, while Article B reports specifically on flights being resumed between Iraq’s Najaf and Iran, which is a related but distinct event.”
US Treasury chief Bessent claims successes in isolating Iran Different event
The Straits Times
Hedges 1 of 11 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different actions related to international responses to US sanctions on Iran, but they do not detail the same specific incident.”
Iraq seeks US exemption from ban on Iranian flights Different event
Al Jazeera
Hedges 0 of 17 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.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
13
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
15%
2 of 13 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
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 2026-09-28 · 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 · 4506 article(s) · 2 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 2 correction(s)
2026-10-03
Tennessee prisons official resigns after Christa Pike’s failed US execution
2026-09-30
Indonesia suspends five officials over luxury apartments for inmates

Who wrote this

No reporter is named on this article.

Topics

ICAO Iran Iranian Najaf Tehran

Subjects

Iran GPE · 10× Iranian NORP · 7× Tehran GPE · 4× ICAO ORG · 3× IRNA ORG · 2× Iraq GPE · 2× Najaf GPE · 2× Shiroudi PERSON · 2× Iraqi Airways ORG · 1× Iraqi News Agency ORG · 1×

Narrative

- list 3 of 3Iraq seeks US exemption from ban on Iranian flights The move allows Iraq’s flag carrier to bypass standoffs with international contractors whose fears of secondary penalties had halted handling services for flights linked to Tehran. Challenging sanctions at ICAO Earlier in the day, Iran filed a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over US aviation sanctions, reported Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-28
2026-09-28 · Al Jazeera
Flights between Iraq’s Najaf and Iran resumed as Tehran protests US curbs · assertive framing

Claims (13 extracted, 2 hedged)

Iraqi Airways has resumed commercial flights between the central province of Najaf and Iranian airports, according to the country’s state-run Iraqi News Agency. uncertain
Airways → resume → Agency
The flights restarted on Monday after Najaf and three other Iraqi airports temporarily suspended flights, driven by fears over secondary sanctions by the United States targeting aviation services linked to Tehran. asserted
Najaf → restart → Tehran
Recommended Stories list of 3 items- list 1 of 3US aviation sanctions disrupt Iran flights, push travellers overland - list 2 of 3Iraqi airports halt Iranian flights after new US aviation sanctions asserted
airports → disrupt → sanctions
- list 3 of 3Iraq seeks US exemption from ban on Iranian flights The move allows Iraq’s flag carrier to bypass standoffs with international contractors whose fears of secondary penalties had halted handling services for flights linked to Tehran. Challenging sanctions at ICAO Earlier in the day, Iran filed a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over US aviation sanctions, reported Iran’s official IRNA news agency. asserted
agency → seek → sanctions
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation chief Abuzar Shiroudi told IRNA that coordinated efforts are underway with Iran’s Foreign Ministry to resume flights legally. asserted
efforts → tell → flights
Shiroudi said the ICAO had ruled in Iran’s favour regarding Iran’s formal protest over US aviation sanctions. asserted
ICAO → say → sanctions
Shiroudi also told the agency that Tehran had filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice in The Hague over attacks on airports, aircraft and radar systems. asserted
Tehran → tell → airports
The case before the court remains under review and any compensation depends on its final ruling, he added. asserted
he → remain → ruling
Iran’s civil aviation chief said Iran is seeking explanations from several countries regarding halted flight routes through diplomatic channels. asserted
Iran → say → channels
US sanctions on Iranian airlines came into force on September 23, putting foreign airports and companies that service sanctioned Iranian carriers at risk of secondary sanctions. asserted
that → come → sanctions
The measures have not grounded Iranian aviation altogether. asserted
measures → ground → aviation
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. uncertain
flights → accord → cancellations
Airports in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Oman and the UAE have recently cancelled flights by Iranian airlines. asserted
Airports → cancel → airlines
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