Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani says the Islamic Republic fully supports Iraq's independence, national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
In a congratulatory message to Iraqi new Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri on July 16, Larijani expressed confidence that the Iraqi government and nation would manage to weather the current difficult situation in the country, the country's Press TV reported.
"Given the very sensitive situation in Iraq at the moment, the formation of legal institutions, particularly the parliament, will be an important step toward strengthening peace and security and countering actions by terrorists and Takfiri groups in the country," he added.
The top Iranian parliamentarian emphasized that promoting democracy, implementing the constitution, remaining vigilant and strengthening national unity are ways to pass through the current situation in Iraq.
On July 15, Jabouri, a well-known Sunni politician, won an absolute majority, 194 of the 273, of votes from Iraqi lawmakers. He was nominated by the country's main Sunni political coalition.
After the election of the parliament speaker, lawmakers are now trying to pick the next prime minister and president. The members of parliament are tasked with naming a new government.
This comes as the Iraqi forces are fighting against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) militants, who have taken control of large swathes of the country and threatened to take the battle to the capital, Baghdad.