People walk past the arrivals gate of Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf International Airport in the central holy city of Najaf on October 4, 2026. The United States has granted sanctions exemptions for some Iranian airlines to operate flights to Iraq's holy city of Najaf, the Iraqi prime minister's office said on October 2, as Washington targets Iran's aviation sector to choke its economy in the Middle East war. (Photo by Qassem al-KAABI / AFP via Getty Images)