On 28 September, Al-Ittijah TV (KH — official), Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official) and Shabab al-Islam (Ashab al-Kahf — owned, non-official) relayed senior Iraqi state backing for a government request to exempt Najaf airport from U.S. Treasury measures concerning Iranian airline flights. A Najaf protest statement carried by Shabab al-Islam instead demanded immediate cancellation of the Iranian-flight restriction across Iraqi airports. Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) separately reported its Tehran correspondent’s account that Iraq’s ambassador in Iran said the prime minister had approved resumption of Iranian flights through Najaf.
- Shabab al-IslamAshab al-Kahf — owned, non-official28 Sept, 18:48
“Immediate cancellation of the decision banning Iranian aviation through Iraqi airports”
الإلغاء الفوري لقرار حظر الطيران الإيراني عبر المطارات العراقية
- Al-Ittijah TVKH — official28 Sept, 19:40
“Meeting of the three presidencies and the head of the Judicial Council: We support the government’s approach to exempting Najaf airport from U.S. Treasury measures”
اجتماع الرئاسات الثلاث ورئيس مجلس القضاء: ندعم توجه الحكومة في استثناء مطار النجف الأشرف من إجراءات الخزانة الأميركية
- Al-Ghadeer TVBadr Organization — official28 Sept, 19:41
“The presidencies affirm support for the Iraqi government’s request to exempt Najaf airport from U.S. Treasury measures”
الرئاسات تؤكد دعم مطلب الحكومة العراقية في استثناء مطار النجف الأشرف من إجراءات الخزانة الأمريكية
- Shabab al-IslamAshab al-Kahf — owned, non-official28 Sept, 19:43
“The meeting affirmed support for the Iraqi government’s request to exempt Najaf airport from U.S. Treasury measures concerning Iranian airline flights”
الاجتماع أكد على دعم مطلب الحكومة العراقية في استثناء مطار النجف من إجراءات وزارة الخزانة الأمريكية بشأن رحلات شركات الطيران الإيرانية
- Al-Ahad TVAAH — official28 Sept, 19:59
“Our correspondent in Tehran: the Iraqi ambassador in Iran confirmed the prime minister’s approval to resume Iranian flights through Najaf airport”
مراسلنا من طهران: السفير العراقي في إيران أكد حصول موافقة رئيس الوزراء باستئناف الرحلات الجوية الإيرانية عبر مطار النجف الأشرف
The difference is the scope of the remedy: a Najaf-specific exemption would not, by its stated terms, meet the protesters’ demand concerning all Iraqi airports.