Pakistan, March 11 -- In a letter to Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to continue to work "closely" with the Islamic republic, a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

A day earlier, Iran's Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in US-Israeli coordinated strikes on Iran days ago.

The PMO statement said that the premier congratulated Mojtaba on his appointment as the supreme leader and voiced optimism that he would lead his country towards "peace, stability, and prosperity".

He also offered "condolences on the martyrdom of his revered father,...