U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington and Tehran are not coordinating their fight against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq but that any Iranian military action against the IS would be "positive."
Kerry made the comments in Brussels on December 3 after the Pentagon said there were "indications that [Iran] did indeed" carry out air strikes against IS positions in Iraq.
Kerry, who refused to confirm if Iran had carried out air strikes in Iraq, said the Iraqis were responsible for all ground and air military operations and "what they choose to do is up to them."
Kerry continued by saying there were no plans "at this time" to coordinate military activity with Iran.
A senior Iranian official denied that Iran had conducted air strikes against IS in Iraq.
The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since Iranian activists stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and took dozens of Americans hostage.
!["You whose slogan is negotiation, expect [to end up] in Farah's swimming pool," the sign, widely shared on social media, said.](https://gdb.rferl.org/AFDC886E-7E07-4F39-ADE4-E05FCF9DC86A_cx0_cy9_cw0_w100_r1.jpg)
!["You whose slogan is negotiation, expect [to end up] in Farah's swimming pool," the sign, widely shared on social media, said.](https://gdb.rferl.org/AFDC886E-7E07-4F39-ADE4-E05FCF9DC86A_cx0_cy9_cw0_w33_r1.jpg)
