Washington is considering launching air strikes, possibly within days, to back up Iraqi and Shiite forces battling to recapture Tikrit from the Islamic State jehadi group, US officials said. The statement came on Tuesday after an official said the US was already providing reconnaissance support for Iraqi forces there, the first confirmation of American involvement in the operation.
Such assistance could help Iraqi forces move forward with their largest operation against ISIS jehadis to date, which enjoyed initial success but has since stalled into a siege, with the city surrounded but not retaken. A US-led coalition has targeted ISIS with air strikes and provided training and equipment to Iraqi forces, but had not previously announced direct assistance for the Tikrit operation, in which Iran has played a major role. Possible air strikes near Tikrit are “being discussed at a high level” and could be days or weeks away, a US official told AFP.