TEHRAN - Iraj Masjedi, the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, has said that Iran supports designation of Mustafa al-Kadhimi as the new prime minister of Iraq.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran respects Iraq’s law and political system and supports any figure who has been designated through legal procedure and after gaining the parliament’s vote of confidence,” he tweeted, ISNA reported on Sunday.

Iraqi President Barham Salih named intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi as prime minister-designate on Thursday.

Kadhimi is the third person to be named to the post in just over two months.

Kadhimi was nominated by Salih, shortly after the previous designated prime minister, Adnan al-Zurfi, announced he was withdrawing having failed to secure enough support to pass a government.

Masjedi  said on Friday that Iran has a “positive view” on designation of Kadhimi as the new prime minister of Iraq.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran respects Iraq’s law and political system and supports anyone who has been designated through the legal procedure and gaining vote of the country’s parliament,” he told IRNA.

The ambassador said that Iran supports the Iraqi parliament’s vote because it represents the entire Iraqi society which includes Kurds, Shias, Sunnis and even minorities such as Turkmens and Christians.

“Our policy is not providing support for just one political group in Iraq. We respect all ethnicities and religious groups,” he remarked.

Iran’s approach towards Iraq is supporting the country’s unity and territorial integrity, he added.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on Thursday welcoming the naming of al-Kadhimi as prime minister, calling his nomination to the post “as the right decision at the right time”.

Iran has been on side of Iraq since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003. It was the first country that recognized the first post-Saddam ruling system in Iraq. 

Iran also rushed to the help of Iraq when the terrorist Daesh group suddenly captured large swathes of the Iraqi territory in northwest Iraq.

The religious and cultural affinities between Iraq and Iraq are also very strong. Every year millions of citizens from each country visit holy shrines in either country.

NA/PA