Iraq seeks US exemption from ban on Iranian flights

Iraq is in direct talks with Washington to secure exemptions for some of its airports from US measures targeting Iranian airline flights. Four Iraqi airports halted all flights to Iran following new US aviation sanctions. The Iraqi prime minister's office stated that exemptions would allow flights to resume for humanitarian reasons, including medical, educational, and religious purposes, and called for regional de-escalation. Protests organized by Iran-aligned militias and scholars from Najaf's seminary condemned the flight suspensions, citing their impact on Shia pilgrims and local communities.