Iran says 1st flight by foreign airline landed since start of war after US issued sanctions waiver for Iraqi carrier

The first commercial flight operated by a foreign airline to fly into Iran since the outbreak of the Middle East war has landed, state media reports, after the United States granted a sanctions waiver for Iraq’s national carrier to fly to the Islamic Republic.

State TV broadcasts a short video of the Iraqi Airways flight landing in capital Tehran from Iraq’s Najaf, a city holy to Shia Muslims, adding that it was a round-trip service.

“Operated by Iraqi Airways, the flight took off from Najaf Airport and landed successfully at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran at 6:50 am (0320 GMT),” state TV says.

Last month, Iraq’s transport ministry said that the United States had granted Iraqi Airways an exemption to fly to Iran, with an official saying it applied to pilgrims traveling between Iran and Najaf.

The Iraqi government also said last week that it had secured an agreement with the US allowing Iranian airlines, except Mahan Air, to operate daily flights to and from Najaf, home to one of the most revered shrines in Shia Islam.

It came after Washington imposed restrictions on Iran’s aviation industry last month, vowing to take a hard line against companies that assist it.