US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad

The US Department of the Treasury has announced the removal of sanctions against FlyBaghdad Airlines, which was sanctioned in 2024 due to its alleged ties to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This decision has drawn widespread attention in the international aviation community.

FlyBaghdad Airlines was established in 2003, initially focusing on transporting hostages and cargo, but later expanded its business to include civilian flights. According to the US Department of the Treasury, FlyBaghdad Airlines had close ties with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and had assisted the organization in conducting illegal activities internationally. FlyBaghdad Airlines has consistently denied these allegations.

The US Department of the Treasury's initial sanctions against FlyBaghdad Airlines were intended to prevent the airline from circumventing US sanctions on Iran, which have been a means of economic survival for many Iranian companies and organizations. However, the decision to lift the sanctions has drawn attention and criticism from the US Congress.

Analysts believe that this decision may be related to the relationship between the US and Iran. At the time of the US Department of the Treasury's sanctions on FlyBaghdad Airlines in 2024, the then-US President was actively promoting peace talks between the US and Iran. US Department of the Treasury decision-makers may have considered the lifting of sanctions as a means to promote reconciliation.

However, critics argue that this decision may provide new economic support to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, allowing the organization to continue its illegal activities. This criticism has also drawn attention from the US Congress.

Regarding the lifting of sanctions on FlyBaghdad Airlines, the airline has welcomed the decision, stating that it will help the company resume normal operations.

For Taiwan, this event has little direct relation to the island, but it also reminds us that international relations are always complex, and these complexities are revealed in such events in an undeniable manner.