Iran-bound flyers still detouring as Iraq keeps most flights grounded

Iran's Foreign Ministry has called on Iraq to lift the remaining flight restrictions linked to US sanctions and to fully restore air travel between the two countries. The appeal came in a statement on Thursday, after services partially resumed at one Iraqi airport earlier in the week.

Key facts

• The US ban took effect on 23 September and targets any company doing business with Iranian airlines.
• Flights between Najaf and Iran restarted late on Monday, according to Iraq's state-run Iraqi News Agency.
• Flights remain suspended at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports.
• Flights to and from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport have fallen 42 percent, according to FlightRadar24.
• Passengers are being pushed onto land journeys of at least 12 hours.

What is happening to flights between Iran and Iraq?

Only the Najaf–Iran route has resumed, with Iraq's state-run Iraqi News Agency crediting "diligent efforts" by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi for the restart. Services remain suspended at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports.

Iraq's ambassador to Iran, Yasser Abdulzahra al-Hajjaj, said Baghdad had not decided to suspend Iranian flights. Foreign ground-handling companies refused to provide services for fear of US sanctions.

How are travellers being affected?

With flights grounded at three Iraqi airports, passengers are being forced onto land journeys of at least 12 hours, disrupting pilgrim traffic between Shia-majority areas. The suspensions prompted protests across Iraq, including outside Najaf airport and in Nasiriya, Karbala and Amarah, according to the Iranian news agency Press TV.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the movement of millions of Iranian and Iraqi citizens required "an independent and responsible approach" to disagreements between the two governments. It condemned what it called Washington's "illegal and inhumane" efforts to disrupt Iran's trade and air transport through the extraterritorial enforcement of US sanctions.

How widely have Iran's international flights been cut?

The US ban has sharply reduced Iran's international air links. Flights to and from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport have fallen 42 percent, according to aviation monitor FlightRadar24, with routes to Georgia, Oman and Azerbaijan halted entirely and flights to Dubai suspended since 23 September.

Flights to China have held steady, while the busiest route, to Turkiye, has fallen by only 19 percent, even as individual airlines have shifted service on and off the route.

What is Iraq seeking?

Iraq's government has sought a US exemption on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits and the interests of civilians.

What this means for travellers

Travellers planning to fly between Iran and Iraq should check whether their route is operating before booking, as only the Najaf–Iran service has resumed and flights remain suspended at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah. Those affected by the suspensions have been making land journeys of at least 12 hours.

No timeline has been announced for lifting the remaining restrictions. Iran continues to press Baghdad to remove them, while Iraq's request for a US exemption is pending.