The Obama administration is ready to communicate with Iran in the bid to stop ISIS, Secretary of State John Kerry said.
“We’re not coordinating with Iran, but as I said, we’re open to have a conversation at some point in time if there’s a way to find something constructive,” Kerry told reporters Sept. 15 in Paris, where the United States convened a meeting of 26 countries with an interest in destroying the jihadist group, also known as Islamic State or ISIL.
Iranian leaders in recent days have furiously rebuffed such overtures, in part because Kerry, deferring to Saudi Arabia, did not include Iran in the Paris meeting. Iran is assisting the Iraqi and Syrian governments in their efforts to stop ISIS.
Israel’s government is opposed to any U.S. coordination with Iran, in part to keep Iran’s influence in check and also in wariness of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. — jta