Pro-Iranian groups in Iraq threaten government over air flights — Asharq Al-Awsat

In Iraq, pro-Iranian armed groups are threatening to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi over the continued ban on Iranian airlines landing at the country’s airports. Baghdad is complying with restrictions related to U.S. Treasury Department sanctions, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

Threats from the groups

On Monday, hundreds of supporters of the groups protested near Najaf Airport, demanding that restrictions on Iranian carriers be lifted. Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with Kataib Hezbollah, said the government could be overthrown if the restrictions are not removed.

He also warned that if restrictions on air traffic with Iran remain in force after October 1, the Iraqi position could include closing border crossings with countries that, he said, are participating in the blockade of the Iranian people.

Firas Ilyas, a professor of political science at the University of Mosul, said the pressure is linked not only to air traffic and state control over weapons, but also to preserving Tehran’s influence in Iraq.

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Limited U.S. authorization

Iraqi government spokesperson Haider al-Abboudi said the government had not made a separate decision to ban Iranian aviation. According to him, airports operate within an international system that includes ground handling, monitoring and insurance companies. Such companies stopped providing services to Iranian carriers due to the risk of U.S. sanctions.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a special license to Iraqi Airways to conduct operations necessary for passenger flights between Iraq and Iran through Najaf Airport. The authorization is valid until the completion of the specified operations or until October 28, 2026.

Flights must depart only from Najaf and return there, and only Iranian passengers traveling for religious purposes may be transported. The license also prohibits large cash transfers, supplies for Iranian intelligence, military or law enforcement entities, and transactions with sanctioned persons.

Following the U.S. decision, Iraq’s Ministry of Transport said Iraqi Airways had received permission to operate flights to Iran. Air services are to resume in October from the Iraqi side and only through Najaf, while the ban on Iranian airlines remains in force.