Iraq’s current premier Nouri al-Maliki said on Wednesday he will not quit without a court ruling, two days after President Fuad Masum designated Haidar al-Abadi for premiership.

Iraq’s current premier Nouri al-Maliki said on Wednesday he will not quit without a court ruling, two days after President Fuad Masum designated Haidar al-Abadi for premiership.

"I confirm that the government will continue and there will not be a replacement for it without a decision from the federal court," Maliki said in his televised weekly address.

The two-term premier has accused Masum of violating the constitution by approving the nomination of al-Abadi, a member of his Dawa party, to form a government, and vowed he would sue.

International backing has meanwhile poured in for Abadi, including from both Washington and Tehran.

The political transition comes at a time of crisis for Iraq, as Takfiri militants of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) seized the main northern city of Mosul and areas around.