US to allow flights between Iraq holy city and Iran

The United States has granted Iraqi Airways, the national carrier, a sanctions waiver allowing it to fly to Iran, Iraq’s transport ministry said on Tuesday.
Efforts by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Transport Minister Wahb al-Hasani “successfully obtained a special exemption for Iraqi Airways to operate its flights to the Islamic Republic of Iran”, the ministry said in a statement.
A government official told AFP that the exemption applied to pilgrims travelling between Iran and Iraq’s holy city of Najaf.
“The airport was informed yesterday that Iraqi airlines can fly to Iran but there is no schedule yet,” an airport source told AFP.
The transport ministry said flights were set to...