Najaf Airport Suspends Flights to and From Iran

By Staff, Agencies

Najaf International Airport suspended all flights to and from Iran from 2:00 a.m. Friday, September 25, until further notice, following directives issued by the relevant Iraqi authorities.

In a statement cited by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the airport administration instructed airlines and other operators to halt all procedures related to the suspended flights and said further instructions would be issued regarding any resumption. The statement did not identify the authority that ordered the suspension.

The move follows the suspension of Iranian airline services at Baghdad International Airport and comes amid mounting pressure on Iran’s aviation sector following new US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines and aviation-related entities.

Iranian aviation officials said the head of Najaf Airport contacted Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization to communicate the decision.

According to information provided by the airport, flights operated by Iran Air, Fly Persia, Taban Air and Saha Airlines to Najaf were canceled in the early hours of Friday.

However, Ramin Kashif Azar, executive director of Imam Khomeini International Airport, said a Meraj Airlines flight bound for Najaf still operated at 8:30 a.m. Friday, indicating that some flights continued despite the suspension order.

Iranian aviation authorities are also holding discussions on arrangements to facilitate the return of Iranian citizens who traveled to Iraq, as well as Iraqi nationals seeking to return to Iran.

An Iraqi source told Tasnim that the suspension was ordered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who reportedly directed his office to issue a ban on Iranian flights before instructing the Ministry of Transport to implement the measure.

Following the Najaf suspension, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization instructed Iranian airlines to stop selling tickets for the affected routes until further notice.

Reuters reported that flights between Iran and all four Iraqi airports previously served by Iranian carriers, Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah, had been suspended.

Iranian flights to Oman and Azerbaijan have also reportedly been suspended following the latest US sanctions, further restricting Iran’s regional air connections.