--- title: "US lifts sanctions on Fly Baghdad airline linked to Iran's IRGC-Quds Force" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-airline-linked-to-irans-irgc-quds-force" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-airline-linked-to-irans-irgc-quds-force" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-airline-linked-to-irans-irgc-quds-force.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-airline-linked-to-irans-irgc-quds-force" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-08-05T19:46:00.877Z" source_reported: "2026-08-05T16:45:25.000Z" updated: "2026-08-05T21:15:34.231Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-05T20:45:08.516194+00:00" --- # US lifts sanctions on Fly Baghdad airline linked to Iran's IRGC-Quds Force *The Treasury removed restrictions on the Iraqi carrier and two aircraft after administrative review, while keeping sanctions on its owner* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Single outlet with anonymous sourcing and no independent corroboration. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. Quotes affected party indirectly via AFP; lacks context or next steps. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headline overstates certainty; body tempers with 'alleged' and 'not warranted'. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The US Treasury removed sanctions on Fly Baghdad airline and two aircraft on 3 August 2026, following an administrative reconsideration process. - Sanctions on the airline’s owner, Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani, remain in place, as reported by Channel News Asia. - The Treasury stated the decision was not a shift in US policy toward Iran or the IRGC-Quds Force, according to an unnamed official. - Fly Baghdad was originally sanctioned in January 2024 over alleged support for the IRGC-Quds Force and its proxy groups. The US Treasury lifted sanctions on Fly Baghdad, an Iraqi airline, and two of its aircraft on 3 August 2026. The airline had been sanctioned in January 2024 over allegations it provided support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-Quds Force) and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Fly Baghdad had denied the accusations at the time. The Treasury’s decision followed an administrative reconsideration process, as stated by an unnamed US official to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The official said Fly Baghdad had demonstrated "major changes to their operations" that made its listing no longer warranted. Sanctions on the airline’s owner, Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani, were not lifted. The Treasury clarified the removal was not a change in US policy toward Iran, the IRGC-Quds Force or any designated terrorist organisation. ## What the coverage left out No left- or right-rated outlet ran this story at all. The only report published, by Channel News Asia, did not specify what operational changes Fly Baghdad had made to warrant the lifting of sanctions. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 15% (2) - Centre: 23% (3) - Right: 62% (8) 3 of 16 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-05T20:45:08.516194+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 2 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-05T21:15:34.231Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The reports agree that the US removed sanctions on Fly Baghdad airline, which had been designated for ties to Iran’s IRGC-Quds Force. Both note the airline and two of its Boeing 737 aircraft were taken off the sanctions list on 29 July 2026. - Cumhuriyet led on the removal of the airline and aircraft from the sanctions list, quoting the US Treasury’s statement. It reported that the CEO, Beşir Abdulkadim Alvan eş-Şabbani, remained sanctioned but the reason given for his designation was updated to cite IRGC-Quds Force links. The digest of Vanguard News did not mention the CEO or the aircraft. - Cumhuriyet included the US Treasury’s original justification for the sanctions: Fly Baghdad’s connection to the IRGC-Quds Force. The Vanguard News digest did not carry this detail. ### Centre - Channel News Asia, the only outlet to publish a full report, led on the Treasury’s decision to lift sanctions on Fly Baghdad and two of its aircraft. The report included the airline’s denial of the original allegations and the Treasury’s statement that the removal was not a policy shift. It also noted the maintenance of sanctions on the airline’s owner, Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani, and quoted an unnamed US Treasury official describing the operational changes that led to the decision. - The report contextualised the sanctions within broader US-Iran tensions, including the Trump administration’s actions against Iran’s leadership and economy, Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and stalled negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. It did not include details on what specific operational changes Fly Baghdad had made. ### Right - The seven right-rated outlets all reported that the US Treasury removed sanctions on Fly Baghdad and two of its aircraft. They noted the airline had been designated in 2024 for links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force. All stated the delisting followed an administrative review or changes in the airline’s behaviour. - Five of the digests led on the IRGC-Quds Force connection. Three included the Treasury’s statement that the move did not signal a policy shift toward Iran or the IRGC. None of the digests mentioned the airline’s owner remaining under sanctions, though one carried that detail. - The digests did not quote Fly Baghdad or Iraqi officials. All attributed the decision to the US Treasury or its Office of Foreign Assets Control. None included a cost estimate or a timeline for the airline’s operational changes. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 6 - high: 5 - unknown: 3 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Aktuality.sk](https://aktuality.sk/clanok/NYt2oL3/usa-rusia-sankcie-voci-fly-baghdad-iracke-aerolinie-uz-washington-nepovazuje-za-podporovatela-revolucnych-gard) — US Lifts Sanctions on Iraqi Airline Fly Baghdad - [KAYHAN LIFE](https://kayhanlife.com/news/iran/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-previously-linked-to-islamic-republics-irgc) — US Lifts Sanctions on Fly Baghdad, Previously Linked to Islamic Republic’s IRGC - [Channel News Asia](https://channelnewsasia.com/world/fly-baghdad-us-sanctions-iraq-airline-6301781) — US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-previously-linked-to-irans-irgc) — US lifts sanctions on Fly Baghdad, previously linked to Iran's IRGC - [Al Arabiya](https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/08/05/us-removes-sanctions-from-three-irgclinked-entities) — US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline linked to Iran's IRGC - [The News](https://thenews.com.pk/latest/1411356-us-treasury-lifts-specific-iran-sanctions-as-trump-deal-nears) — US Treasury lifts specific Iran sanctions as Trump deal nears - [Tribune India](https://tribuneindia.com/news/usa-news/us-removes-sanctions-from-three-irgc-linked-entities-treasury-website-shows) — US removes sanctions from three IRGC-linked entities, Treasury website shows - The Tribune - [Latestly](https://latestly.com/agency-news/world-news-us-removes-sanctions-from-three-irgc-linked-entities-treasury-website-shows-7547123.html) — US Removes Sanctions from Three IRGC-linked Entities, Treasury Website Shows - [Haberler](https://haberler.com/haberler/abd-iran-devrim-muhafizlari-baglantili-iraka-ait-20120869-haberi) — The US Has Removed an Iraqi Airline with Ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard From Its Sanctions List. - [Cumhuriyet](https://cumhuriyet.com.tr/dunya/abd-den-kritik-iran-hamlesi-iran-devrim-muhafizlari-ile-baglantili-o-kurulusun-yaptirimlari-kaldirildi-2526776) — US Makes Critical Move Regarding Iran: Sanctions Lifted on Organization Linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. - [Vanguard News](https://vanguardngr.com/2026/08/us-lifts-sanctions-on-iraqi-airline-linked-to-irans-revolutionary-guards) — US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards - [i24NEWS](https://i24news.tv/en/news/international/americas/artc-us-delists-iraqi-carrier-fly-baghdad-from-sanctions-list) — US delists Iraqi carrier Fly Baghdad from sanctions list - [The Economic Times](https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/global-trends/washington-removes-sanctions-on-iraqs-fly-baghdad-airline/articleshow/132944204.cms) — Washington removes sanctions on Iraq's Fly Baghdad airline - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/washington-removes-sanctions-on-iraqs-fly-baghdad-airline/articleshow/132944204.cms) — Washington removes sanctions on Iraq's Fly Baghdad airline - [شفق نيوز](https://shafaq.com/en/society/US-lifts-sanctions-on-Iraqi-airline-Fly-Baghdad) — US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad - Shafaq News - [Mehr News Agency](https://en.mehrnews.com/news/246787/US-Treasury-lifts-some-sanctions-on-IRGC) — US Treasury lifts some sanctions on Iraqi airliner ## Questions **Why were sanctions lifted on Fly Baghdad?** The US Treasury lifted sanctions on Fly Baghdad and two of its aircraft on 3 August 2026 after an administrative reconsideration. An unnamed official said the airline had demonstrated "major changes to their operations" that made its listing no longer warranted, as reported by Channel News Asia. **Were sanctions lifted on Fly Baghdad’s owner?** No. The US Treasury maintained sanctions on Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani, the owner of Fly Baghdad, while lifting restrictions on the airline and two of its aircraft. This was confirmed in the Treasury’s update, as reported by Channel News Asia. **Does the lifting of sanctions signal a change in US policy toward Iran?** The US Treasury stated the removal of sanctions on Fly Baghdad was not indicative of any shift in US policy toward Iran, the IRGC-Quds Force or designated terrorist organisations. This was clarified by an unnamed official, according to Channel News Asia. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-airline-linked-to-irans-irgc-quds-force. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US lifts sanctions on Fly Baghdad airline linked to Iran's IRGC-Quds Force", https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lifts-sanctions-on-fly-baghdad-airline-linked-to-irans-irgc-quds-force