Iraq’s Coordination Framework to Discuss Iran Flight Suspension Amid Political Tensions
State of Law leader says Shiite alliance may take key decisions as Baghdad seeks US exemptions to resume some Iranian flights
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Leaders of Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework (SCF) are expected to meet on Monday, Sept. 28, to discuss the political and economic implications of suspending flights between Iraq and Iran, according to Abdulrahman al-Jazairi, a leader in the State of Law Coalition.
Speaking exclusively to Kurdistan24, al-Jazairi said the meeting would address concerns among Shiite political leaders over the decision to halt Iranian flights and what he described as recent unilateral decisions by Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi.
He said several important decisions could emerge from the meeting, while arguing that the prime minister would not be able to reverse the flight suspension without prior US approval because resuming services involving Iranian airlines could expose Iraq to US sanctions.
The Iraqi government has confirmed that it is in direct talks with Washington to secure exemptions for certain Iraqi airports, allowing some Iranian flights to resume for humanitarian purposes, including medical treatment, education, religious visits and other civilian needs.
Iraq’s airports have suspended flights to and from Iran amid heightened US pressure on Iranian aviation. Najaf International Airport announced on Sept. 25 that all flights connecting the airport with Iran had been suspended until further notice following official directives.
The suspension followed US measures targeting Iran’s aviation sector. The US Treasury Department earlier imposed sanctions on dozens of entities linked to Iranian aviation, while US officials warned that companies providing services to sanctioned Iranian airlines could face secondary sanctions.
Al-Jazairi said the issue also carries religious and social implications, particularly for Najaf, which receives a significant number of flights from Iranian cities carrying visitors traveling to Shiite holy sites in Iraq.
He said Iraq’s highest religious authority could intervene in the issue and express concern over the suspension, arguing that Najaf International Airport serves a major religious travel route between Iraq and Iran.
The State of Law leader also said Coordination Framework leaders could reconsider their political support for al-Zaidi, accusing the prime minister of taking unilateral steps without sufficiently consulting the alliance on strategic decisions.
He cited the draft 2027 federal budget as another source of disagreement, arguing that the draft was approved and referred to the Council of Ministers while the cabinet remains incomplete and regional tensions remain high.
Al-Jazairi further criticized the government’s performance on combating corruption, saying the process had stalled, and accused the prime minister of failing to address the issue of unauthorized weapons through parliament and legal mechanisms.
The planned Coordination Framework meeting comes as the government attempts to balance its close ties with Iran with the risk of US sanctions.
Baghdad has publicly sought exemptions from Washington while emphasizing that the measures have humanitarian and civilian consequences.