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Iraq allows 40 daily Iranian flights to Najaf, excluding Mahan Air

Iraq's prime minister's office said Iranian airlines other than Mahan Air may operate 40 daily flights to and from Najaf airport, after the US granted a requested exemption from sanctions-related flight restrictions.

4 outlets · 0L · 2C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: Anadolu Agency
Image: The Straits Times
Image: The National
Image: Arab News

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The story, neutrally told

MixedOn Friday 2 October 2026, Iraq announced that Iranian airlines, excluding Mahan Air, may operate up to 40 flights a day to and from Najaf International Airport. MixedThe announcement came from the Iraqi prime minister's office, and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi welcomed what he described as the US government's positive response and its cooperation in granting the requested exemption. RightReuters reported that Iraq had halted flights to and from Iran the previous week in line with US sanctions, and that earlier this week it had reported the US was set to grant a one-month Treasury waiver for flights carrying Shi'ite pilgrims between the two countries.

MixedIraq's government had sought exemptions for travel related to pilgrimage, medical treatment and education; Zaidi said the measure would facilitate travel, particularly for patients, religious pilgrims and tourists. CentreAnadolu reported that the announcement followed a call a day earlier by Iran for Iraq to lift flight restrictions, which Iran said had hurt pilgrims, patients, students and businesspeople and which Tehran blamed on US sanctions. MixedMahan Air, a privately operated Iranian airline, has been under US sanctions since 2011; the US Treasury designated it for allegedly supporting the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, and the US accuses it of transporting Guards personnel, weapons and drones.

CentreZaidi added that Iraq conducts its foreign relations based on the interests of its people and seeks balanced ties with different countries.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Anadolu leads with the agreement and Zaidi's remarks, then gives Iran's call for restrictions to be lifted and background on Mahan Air's sanctions.
Emphasis
Humanitarian and people-to-people rationale; Iran's complaint about the restrictions.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the earlier halt of flights or the reported one-month Treasury waiver.
Charged language
“a bridge of communication between peoples”
For example
““Air travel does not merely represent transportation between two airports, but rather a bridge of communication between peoples,” he said.” — Anadolu Agency

Right2 outlets

Framing
The Straits Times carries Reuters copy that frames the move as a sanctions-driven exemption, with bullet-point context on the flight halt, the reported waiver and US accusations against Mahan Air.
Emphasis
US sanctions context, the pilgrimage focus and the security accusations against Mahan Air.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not include Iran's call for restrictions to be lifted or Zaidi's remarks on balanced foreign relations.
For example
“The US accuses Iranian carrier Mahan Air of transporting Iran's Revolutionary Guards personnel, as well as weapons and drones.” — The Straits Times