A limited Najaf waiver undermines the consistency of US aviation sanctions against Iran

Study and practice of how sovereign states, international institutions, and non-state actors interact across borders. Encompasses diplomacy, negotiation, alliances, and conflict — the foundational domain through which global order is constructed, contested, and maintained.

Diplomatic, economic, and military relations between the United States and Iran, including negotiations, sanctions, and regional tensions within the wider geopolitics shaping the global order.

The Trump administration was reportedly preparing a limited, one-month waiver allowing Iraqi Airways to operate pilgrimage flights between Najaf and Iranian airports. The report relied on one informed source, and the US Treasury had not publicly confirmed the waiver. Iraq separately said up to 40 daily Iranian flights, excluding Mahan Air, were cleared to serve Najaf; this is a limited exception, not a reversal of the wider restrictions on Iranian airlines.