Iran says first flight operated by foreign airline lands since war began

Last month, Iraq's transport ministry announced that the US had granted Iraqi Airways an exemption to operate flights to Iran for pilgrims traveling between Iran and Najaf, a holy city for Shia Muslims. TEHRAN reported on Thursday that the first commercial flight operated by a foreign airline to land in Iran since the Middle East war began had arrived.

State TV aired a brief video of the Iraqi Airways flight touching down at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran from Najaf, shortly after 6:50 am (0320 GMT). The state-run broadcaster confirmed the flight was a round-trip service. Iraqi Airways, the national carrier of Iraq, operated the flight from Najaf Airport to Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport.

Iraq's transport ministry had informed the US last month that the exemption applied to pilgrims traveling between Iran and Najaf. The Iraqi government also secured an agreement with the US in the previous week, permitting Iranian airlines, excluding Mahan Air, to conduct daily flights to and from Najaf, where a revered shrine holds significance in Shia Islam.

This development followed the imposition of US sanctions on Iran's aviation industry last month, prompting the major Iranian airlines to cancel international flights due to various countries implementing bans. Last September, Iran filed a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency headquartered in Montreal, regarding the US sanctions.

Currently, Iranians seeking to enter or exit the country primarily rely on destinations in neighboring Turkey, although routes remain available to Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, Malaysia, and Thailand with Iranian carriers. The United Arab Emirates, once a primary destination for Iranian airlines, has suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines.