Iraq halts Iranian flights at Najaf airport, stranding pilgrims, students, patients
Iraq’s Najaf airport suspended all Iranian flights on Friday after a directive from the prime minister’s office, enforcing US sanctions that also apply to all Iraqi airports including those in Kurdistan. Najaf, a top destination for Shia pilgrims, normally handles Iraqi travelers heading to Iran’s holy sites for religious visits, medical treatment, or study, as well as Iranians visiting Iraqi shrines. The stoppage affects people like Haidar Mansour, 50, who needs a kidney transplant in Iran after three years of dialysis, and Iraqi doctoral student Assad Jabbar, stranded in Qom after being turned back at the airport. Travelers now face land journeys of at least 12 hours, with taxis and buses already packed and prices rising. Before the suspension, Iranian airlines operated at least 20 daily flights to Najaf; only four flights to other destinations remain scheduled. For Nigerians with ties to Iran—whether for pilgrimage, medical care, or education—this disruption adds significant cost, time, and risk to their plans.
Will you seek alternative travel routes, explore virtual options for studies or consultations, or postpone your Iran-bound plans until flights resume?