“The Islamic Republic of Iran respects the law and the political system and government of Iraq, and we support anyone who is elected prime minister in the legal process, and through the voting of confidence by the Iraqi parliament,” Masjedi wrote in a tweet on Saturday.

In a decree on Thursday, Iraqi President Barham Salih nominated Mustafa al-Kadhimi as the new PM-designate of the country, after former Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adnan al-Zurfi announced his withdrawal from the role of forming a new government earlier in the day.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the nomination of al-Kakhimi, calling the move a step in the right direction.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Thursday, “The Islamic Republic has always backed Iraq’s independence, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political stability,” adding that Tehran considers the formation of consensus among all of its political movements through democratic pathways to be the only peaceful solution for all differences.

He also expressed Tehran’s readiness to cooperate with Baghdad in its efforts to put standing problems behind it and provide it’s public and religious authorities demands.

The efforts to establish a new government follow the resignation of former Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi, who stepped down in November.