Daijiworld Media Network - Baghdad
Baghdad, Sep 26: The Iraqi government is in direct talks with the United States seeking sanctions exemptions for certain Iraqi airports to allow flights to and from Iran to resume on humanitarian grounds, an official statement said on Saturday.
The media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said the requested waivers would facilitate flights for medical treatment, education, religious visits and other civilian purposes following recent measures by the US Department of the Treasury targeting Iranian airlines operating in the region.
The Iraqi government said it was also working to ease regional tensions, warning that a prolonged crisis could further complicate the situation. It called on all parties to resolve conflicts through dialogue, Xinhua news agency reported.
The move came after several Iraqi airports recently suspended incoming and outgoing flights to Iran following the US sanctions, according to Iraqi media.
The US Treasury earlier this month announced new sanctions targeting Iran's aviation sector. The measures suspended authorisations that had allowed non-US airlines to operate US-origin or US-controlled commercial aircraft into Iran. Washington also warned that foreign companies providing support to sanctioned Iranian airlines, including through aircraft, cargo, sales agents, procurement or other assistance, could face consequences.
On Friday, Najaf International Airport in central Iraq suspended all incoming and outgoing flights to and from Iran until further notice, the state-run Iraqi News Agency reported. The suspension came into effect at 2 am local time following instructions from the relevant authorities.
Airlines and operating companies were directed not to take any operational measures concerning the suspended services and were told they would be notified officially about any instructions regarding their resumption.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi government on Thursday signed an agreement to take over the US Embassy's diplomatic support centre at Baghdad International Airport, according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The agreement was signed at the ministry headquarters by Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom and US Embassy charge d'affaires Steven Fagin.
The handover forms part of Baghdad's efforts to complete arrangements for the conclusion of the US-led international coalition's mission and the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Iraq, in line with a September 30 deadline.
Bahr Al-Uloom said the move was important in transitioning Iraq-US relations towards a new phase of partnership, particularly in the economic, development and energy sectors.
The diplomatic support facility has been targeted repeatedly by drone and rocket attacks this year following joint Israeli-US strikes on Iran on February 28 and Iran's subsequent retaliatory attacks against Israeli and US military assets in the region.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has said September 30 remains the firm deadline for ending the US-led coalition's military mission in Iraq and completing the withdrawal of its troops. He said October 1 would mark a new phase for Iraq, with the country free of foreign military presence and exercising full national sovereignty over its territory.