BAGHDAD — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi on Tuesday evening to congratulate him on his designation, with the two sides agreeing to exchange visits and discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
During the call, Zaidi said Iraq supports “the diplomatic track and dialogue to resolve disputes and contain crises,” and suggested Iraq could play “a mediating role between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s media office.
The call follows a phone call last week from U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed support for Zaidi and called for a government “free of terrorism.” The two discussed bilateral relations and “joint work and bilateral cooperation to consolidate stability in the region.”
Zaidi was nominated last week by the Coordination Framework following the withdrawal of both Maliki and incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. He has 30 days to form a cabinet, draft a government program and secure approval from an absolute majority of parliament’s 329 members.