Travel between Iran and the Iraqi city of Najaf is set to start again. The United States is allowing this by granting a 'sanctions waiver.'

To understand what that means: The US has tough rules—called sanctions—that stop most people and companies from doing business with Iran’s aviation industry. These rules are meant to put pressure on Iran’s government. Because of these rules, it has been very hard for Iranians to travel by plane, leaving many people feeling cut off from the rest of the world.

Iraqi Airways announced they will resume these flights in October. They were able to do this because they received a special exemption from the US government. This essentially means the US is giving them a one-time permission slip to fly this specific route, even though the sanctions are still in place for other things.

For many, this is a big deal. Recently, travel between Iran and other countries has become very unpredictable. Several airlines have stopped flying there entirely due to the pressure of the sanctions. This has made life difficult for families and travelers who rely on these routes to get around.

While this specific route to Najaf is opening up, the broader situation remains difficult. US sanctions continue to make flying in and out of Iran complicated, leading to canceled flights and limited travel options for Iranians.

Source: Reuters