US Weighs Sanctions Waiver to Allow Iran-Iraq Flights to Najaf

A narrow humanitarian carve-out on a pilgrimage route is a reminder that sanctions enforcement is increasingly granular, with Washington willing to separate religious travel from the broader pressure campaign on Tehran. For Iraq, which hosts the destination, the practical effect sits with its airlines, airports and border agencies rather than with any market. The open question is whether such exemptions stay confined to pilgrimage traffic or become a template for other restricted flows; no decision or timeline has been disclosed, so the signal is intent, not policy.