Iran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport has received no order to restart flights to Najaf in Iraq, its public relations manager told Mehr News Agency on September 28.
The Najaf route is one of the busiest international corridors for Iranian carriers, taking Iranian pilgrims to the shrine of Imam Ali and bringing Iraqi pilgrims, students and patients the other way. About 12,000-13,000 people normally travel between the two countries each day on Iranian airlines, according to Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq. The suspension cuts off a core source of religious travel as Tehran tries to revive its visitor economy.
No official correspondence has been received on restoring the service, and no date can be given for Tehran-Najaf flights in either direction, Ali Kashani Heydari, public relations manager of Imam Khomeini Airport City, said. A representative of Iraqi Airways said the carrier had also heard nothing about the route being reinstated.
Iraqi outlet Al-Ahd had reported that the first Tehran-Najaf flights would depart on September 30, citing a source close to the Iraqi government who said the ban would be lifted within 24 hours once Baghdad secured an exemption for the airport from US Treasury sanctions. Taif Al-Hatami, a member of Najaf’s provincial council, said on September 27 that no exemption had been issued and no timetable set.
Najaf halted all flights to and from Iran at 2am on September 25 on a directive from the prime minister’s office, airport director Hussein Muhanna said. Iranian carriers had typically operated at least 20 flights a day through the airport. Baghdad stopped handling Iranian flights on September 23, and Erbil and Sulaimaniyah also suspended services. The UAE grounded Iranian airlines on September 24.
The US Treasury sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines on September 8 and issued general licences giving counterparties until September 23 to wind down some dealings. The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on September 26 that Baghdad was discussing exemptions with Washington that would let flights resume “on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits, and the interests of civilians”.
Imam Khomeini International Airport, about 30 km south of Tehran, opened in 2004 and is Iran’s main international gateway.