International Flights Resume at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport After 40-Day Suspension; Iraqi Airways Operates First Arrival
Why It MattersEven partial resumption at a major Iranian hub signals a narrow, sanctions-constrained reopening of regional air links rather than a broader normalization of Iran's international connectivity.
International commercial flights have resumed at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) after a 40-day suspension caused by the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the first international arrival was an Iraqi Airways flight from Najaf International Airport, landing on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Authorities confirmed the Iraq-Iran route will continue operating regularly in both directions.
Iraqi Airways now runs daily schedules from Najaf into three Iranian hubs: Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan. Iranian carriers such as Caspian Airlines have been permitted up to 40 daily flights into Najaf, while Mahan Air remains blacklisted and fully banned from the agreement or ground services.
International flights at IKA had dropped by 42 percent following US secondary sanctions imposed on September 23, 2026, after which Iran's Civil Aviation Organization diverted Baghdad-bound flights to Najaf to preserve travel links. The United Arab Emirates and Oman suspended flights operated by Iranian carriers under US diplomatic pressure.
Flights from Tehran to Georgia, Oman, Azerbaijan, and Dubai remain halted due to secondary sanctions enforcement, and Turkish Airlines has removed Iranian destinations from its schedule, with service not expected to resume before March 2027. Limited Iranian domestic carrier flights continue to Shanghai, Bangkok, Phuket, and Kabul.
