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

Tehran: The first commercial flight operated by a foreign airline to land in Iran since the onset of the Middle East conflict touched down on Thursday, according to state media. The Iraqi Airways flight, bound for Tehran from Iraq's holy city of Najaf, marked a significant development following the US granting a sanctions waiver to Iraq's national carrier.

The flight, broadcasted by state TV, landed at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran at 6:50 am (0320 GMT), carrying out a round-trip service. Iraqi Airways had previously been granted an exemption by the US to fly to Iran, specifically for pilgrims traveling between Iran and Najaf, as announced by Iraq's transport ministry last month.

The US had imposed restrictions on Iran's aviation industry last month, leading to major Iranian airlines canceling international flights due to the sanctions. Since then, Iranians seeking entry or exit from the country now primarily have destinations in Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, Malaysia, and Thailand with Iranian carriers, as well as the United Arab Emirates, which has suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines.