By Gram Slattery
WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters he had spoken with Iraqi prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday, and voiced strong support for him.
“With our help, he won, and we want him to do very well. And I told him that the United States is with him all the way. It was a great victory, the new head of Iraq is somebody that we support, very strongly,” Trump told reporters before he departed the White House for a trip to Florida.
Iraq’s alliance of Shi’ite political blocs, the Coordination Framework, on Monday named Zaidi as its nominee for the post of prime minister, a coalition statement said.
Washington is seeking to maintain close ties with Baghdad amid ongoing regional tensions and security concerns.
(Reporting By Gram Slattery and Jarrett Renshaw;By David Ljunggren)