BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani welcomed on Monday the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader after his predecessor and father was killed in US and Israeli strikes.

“We express our confidence in the ability of the new leadership in the Islamic Republic of Iran to manage this critical stage,” and to further strengthen “the unity of the Iranian people” amid the current challenges, Sudani said in a statement.

He stressed that Iraq stands in solidarity with Iran and supports “all steps aimed at ending the conflict.”

Iran wields significant influence in Iraqi politics, and also backs armed groups whose power has grown both politically and financially.

Iraq has for decades been a proxy battleground between the US and Iran.