WASHINGTON: The United States will operate in the same space with Iran towards “potentially the same goal” of countering the Iraqi militants, says the US military chief.

Gen Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff told National Public Radio that the United States “look at Iran with a cold eye (unemotionally)” to determine when and where their interests converge.

And when they might need to operate in the same space and towards potentially the same goal of countering ISIS they would, he said. “But I can state with some assurance that their goals in Iraq are not going to be completely aligned with ours, and we’re very clear about that.”

ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham is a trans-regional militant organisation that originated in Syria and now controls large portions of Iraq’s Sunni belt, causing the collapse of the Iraqi state in those areas.

Gen Dempsey acknowledged that Iran had national interests in Iraq and that must be taken under consideration as Iran has been active in Iraq for a very long time.

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“I can say with some confidence that Iran, which has a deep interest in the Shia holy sites, is undoubtedly providing assistance and support and advice on how to secure those holy sites,” said the US military chief. “That wouldn’t surprise me at all. In fact, I would be surprised if we didn’t find it.”

Gen Dempsey said that the level of support Iran was providing to Iraq would influence the US attitude towards Iranian influence in Iraq.

“One of the things we need to find out is whether Iran is embedded in and advising and supporting the Iraqi security forces,” he said. “That will take us in one direction. If they’re not, that’ll take us in another.”

The United States, he said, would like to understand facts on the ground before taking a decision on how to address the issues.

Gen Dempsey also emphasised that the formation of a national unity government in Iraq would be key to defeating ISIS.

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But to defeat the militants, he added, the US would need a credible partner in the Iraqi government but that could only happen if Baghdad empowered all ethnic and sectarian groups within the country.

Gen Dempsey said the US was disappointed that Iraqi leaders did not heed that advice and did not set up a government that reached out to all people of the nation. “My assessment of the situation we’re in today is not a military failure, but a failure of political leadership,” he added.

Gen Dempsey said that if the United States assessed that that Iraqi forces might not hold together, or Iraq was not forming a national unity government, “we would probably look at other ways to address with other regional partners.”

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2014