ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The spokesperson for the Iranian army’s Khatam al-Anbiya on Saturday said that Iraq is exempt from the restrictions placed on the Strait of Hormuz, adding that recent developments represent a “historic opportunity” to end the “forced” American military presence on Iraqi territory.

“We announce that brotherly Iraq is exempt from any restrictions we imposed on the Strait of Hormuz; those restrictions apply only to hostile countries,” said Ebrahim Zolfaghari in an address to the Iraqi people.

Iraq has been largely unable to export its oil since the onset of the US-Israeli war on Iran, amid the closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz by Iran, through which Iraq exports the majority of its oil, despite the two countries sharing strong ties.

In light of the strait’s closure, Baghdad has opted to sell its oil through Turkey’s Ceyhan pipeline, following an agreement with the Kurdistan Region in March, aiming to alleviate the disruptions to its oil exports.

“Today’s developments, along with the aid and support you provided, can prepare Iraq for a historic opportunity to end the forced American presence on its territory, achieve lasting security, and prevent the looting of Iraq’s wealth at the hands of the United States,” the Khatam al-Anbiya spokesperson added.

Pro-Iran Iraqi militias have carried out hundreds of missile and drone strikes, primarily targeting US interests.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of shadow Iran-backed militia groups, said Saturday that over the past 24 hours it carried out 19 operations using dozens of drones and missiles against “enemy bases in Iraq and the region.”

“In these circumstances, the Muslim Iraqi people have taken a wise and honest stance against global American arrogance and the terrorist Zionist entity,” Zolfaghari said.

“The Iranian people offer their highest respect to the souls of heroic Iraqi martyrs, especially from resistance factions and Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF]. We pray to Allah for patience and solace for their families and salute the fighters, aware Iraqi citizens, and sons of noble tribes. We ask Allah for your continued success.”

Since the US-Israel war with Iran began in late February, Iraq has been the only country to see attacks from both sides of the conflict on its soil, as US-Israeli attacks have repeatedly also targeting pro-Iran factions operating within Iraq’s PMF