US Exception Allows Iran to Resume Najaf Flights Amid New Airline Sanctions

The US has granted an exception permitting Iran to resume daily flights to Najaf, Iraq, after a 40-year hiatus, even as Washington imposes extensive sanctions on Iranian airlines. The move signals a targeted sanctions approach that carves out humanitarian or religious travel corridors while maintaining pressure on Iranian aviation. The exception's scope and duration remain unclear, and its impact on broader US-Iran relations is uncertain.