Iraqi foreign minister: We resumed oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz after understandings with Washington and Tehran

Iraq's foreign minister announced on Saturday that his country had resumed oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz following understandings reached with the United States and Iran: "We resumed oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz after understandings with Washington and Tehran."

The minister said Iraq lost about $60 billion as a result of the halt in oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

He also said Washington had officially asked Iraq to close all of its border crossings with Iran except two. According to the minister, Baghdad informed Iran that "we accept friendship and alliance with it, but we reject its interference in our affairs." He added that Iraq has information about foreign parties using Iraqi territory to attack neighbouring countries.

Addressing the issue of the armed factions' weapons, the minister stressed that bringing weapons under state control must be done through dialogue, not through armed confrontation. He said the prime minister had reached understandings with 4 factions on the weapons issue; Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada agreed to control their weapons, while negotiations are continuing with the Nujaba movement and Kataib Hezbollah. The minister said Iraq is also in contact with Iran on the issue of the Iraqi factions' weapons.

The minister said Iraq seeks to resolve its differences with Saudi Arabia through frank dialogue.

He said groups of the Islamic State organisation are positioned on the Syrian side of the border with Iraq. According to the minister, a quadrilateral committee of Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Turkey has been formed to fight the organisation in Syria, and Iraq is taking military steps on the Syrian border to prevent the infiltration of its members and to combat drug smuggling.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, and Iraq exports most of its oil via this route. Shipping in the strait has been seriously disrupted since the start of the Iran war; the International Maritime Organization has said 25 seafarers have been killed in the Strait of Hormuz during this period. Over this time Iraq sought to export part of its oil via Turkey.