Top Cleric Calls For New Prime Minister In Iraq

During Friday prayers, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's leading Shiite cleric, called on political blocs to agree on the next prime minister before the newly elected parliament convenes next week.

That increases the pressure on political leaders to set aside their differences and form an inclusive government in the face of Sunni militants who have seized large swaths of territory. This comes as the incumbent prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, fights to keep his job.

The BBC's Jim Muir joins Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson from Erbil to discuss the situation.

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