The Iraqi government has reversed its earlier decision to ban flights from Iran, allowing Iranian aircraft to land at Najaf International Airport, according to Israeli journalist Yair Goldblatt.
Israeli security analyst Yair Goldblatt reported overnight that the Iraqi government has reversed an earlier ban on Iranian flights, now permitting Iranian aircraft to land at Najaf International Airport. The city of Najaf is a major Shia pilgrimage site. The report characterizes the reversal as a capitulation by Baghdad after it had initially moved to bar Iranian planes.
The decision follows months of shifting Iraqi policies on Iranian air access. As The Zioneer has documented, Iraq suspended Iranian flights to Baghdad in September under the threat of US sanctions. In June, Baghdad reopened its airspace after an Iranian ceasefire announcement. Whether the latest reversal applies to all Iranian flights or is limited to Najaf remains unconfirmed, as details from the original ban and its scope are not fully specified in the report.
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