ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region leaders on Thursday congratulated Muslims on Eid al-Fitr, expressing hope that it will be a source of peace in the region and the world.

President Masoud Barzani extended his "warmest congratulations and blessings" to Muslims on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, expressing hope that the celebration will bring peace and calm to the region and humanity.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and is one of the most important celebrations in Islam.

"I hope that... this Eid becomes a source of joy, peace, and the end of wars and conflicts in the region and the world," said Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

Similarly, in his congratulatory statement, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said, “May this occasion bring peace and calm to our region and all of humanity.”

The Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs announced Wednesday that the Eid al-Fitr holiday will begin on Friday, with the precise date of the occasion being determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar.

This year's celebration of the occasion comes amid intense regional conflict in the wake of the US-Israeli military offensive against Iran, with myriad regional countries having been affected by the war's spillover.

Eid al-Fitr serves as an opportunity for believers to seek peace and harmony instead of conflict, with Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are currently locked embroiled in clashes, having announced on Wednesday that they will pause hostilities to mark the holiday.