US Sanctions Waiver for Iran-Iraq Najaf Pilgrim Flights

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## Overview The Trump administration was set to grant a limited waiver to its Iran sanctions programme on September 28, 2026, allowing Iraqi Airways to operate flights carrying Shiite Muslim religious pilgrims between Iran and the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deliberations (SCMP, September 28). ## Key Details - The US Treasury Department waiver would allow flights for one month, with discussions underway about a more permanent waiver (SCMP, September 28). - This follows Iraq's broader efforts to seek exemptions from the US ban on Iran-linked airlines. ## Why It Matters This waiver represents a notable, if narrow, softening of US sanctions enforcement against Iran-linked aviation amid the broader post-war sanctions regime. It reflects the practical tension between US pressure campaigns against Iran and Iraq's religious/cultural ties to Iran (particularly Shiite pilgrimage traffic to Najaf and Karbala). It also fits into the pattern of the Trump administration calibrating sanctions enforcement — including threats to ground Iranian airlines worldwide — while carving out humanitarian/religious exceptions. ## Connections Directly relevant to Iraq's prior requests for exemption from the US ban on Iran airlines, and part of the broader US secondary sanctions and Iran economic pressure strategy under Treasury Secretary Bessent.