Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari announced on April 4 that the IRGC has granted Iraq full exemptions from any restrictions imposed on the Strait of Hormuz. The Muslim Iraqi people, he said, “have taken a wise and honest stance against global American arrogance and the terrorist Zionist entity.... Your support strengthens our determination and steadfastness in continuing the struggle.” Officially, the Iraqi government is neutral, but there has been a great deal of fighting by Iraqi Shia militias against U.S. forces in the country.