US believes Iran struck ISIL targets in Iraq

WASHINGTON 

It is believed that Iran struck ISIL targets in eastern Iraq although, a Pentagon spokesperson said Wednesday, but the U.S’s top diplomat would neither confirm nor deny the report. 

"We believe that Iranian military aircraft conducted airstrikes into eastern Iraq in the last several days," Elissa Smith told The Anadolu Agency, noting that U.S. military has not coordinated any operation with Iran.

Kerry was also asked about the reports while he attended meetings at NATO headquarters in Brussels. 

"I’m not going to make any announcements or confirm or deny the reported military action of another country in Iraq," he said. "It’s up to them or up to the Iraqis to do that, if it indeed took place."

Pentagon spokesperson, Rear Admiral John Kirby's remarks Tuesday about the possible Iranian airstrikes in Iraq brought about confusion. 

"I’ve seen the reports. We have no indication that the reports are not true that Iranian aircraft have conducted airstrikes in the last several days against ISIL targets in eastern Iraq," Kirby said Tuesday. 

And White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he also has no reason to believe that those reports are not credible, but at the same time he declined to confirm it. 

Noting that the U.S. has been coordinating its missions with the Iraqi government, Kerry said the U.S. would rely on Iraq to "de-conflict" any aircraft in its airspace. 

The U.S. policy of not coordinating military activity or other activities with Iranians has not changed, Kerry said, and there has been no plan of any change to the position. 

"I think it’s self-evident that if Iran is taking on ISIL in some particular place and it’s confined to taking on ISIL and it has an impact, it’s going to be – the net effect is positive," he said. 

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