All Iraqi airports enforced the US ban on Iranian airlines this week, causing major disruption at the airport serving the holy city of Najaf, the main destination for Iranian flights in Iraq, according to AFP, in a text published by Middle East Eye.

The Iranian ambassador to Iraq said, according to ISNA, that there are roughly 25 daily flights from Iran to Najaf and about 15 to Baghdad, and that between 12,000 and 13,000 people travel between the two countries on Iranian airlines every day. The Iraqi government said on Saturday that it is holding direct talks with the United States to exempt some Iraqi airports from US Treasury measures against Iranian airlines flying to airports in the region, according to The National, seeking to free up flights on humanitarian grounds.