Shi'te Muslim Iran is so alarmed by Sunni insurgent gains in Iraq that it may be willing to cooperate with Washington in helping Baghdad fight back, a senior Iranian official told Reuters today. The idea is being discussed internally among the Islamic Republic's leadership, the senior Iranian official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official had no word on whether the idea had been raised with any other party. Officials say Iran will send its neighbor advisers and weaponry, although probably not troops, to help its ally and Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki check what Tehran sees as a profound threat to regional stability, officials and analysts say.
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Sunni insurgents have already taken the Iraqi cities Tikrit and Mosul and are now on the march to Baghdad
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Senior Iranian official said the Islamic Republican was also open to working with the United States to keep Baghdad secure
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Asked about talks with Iran, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday, 'Clearly, we've encouraged them in many cases to play a constructive role'
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'But I don't have any other readouts or views from our end to portray here today,' she said
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Iran is Shi'te and the insurgents Sunni. Iraq is ruled by a Shi'te elite
'I do not think the deployment of @placeholder troops would be necessary,' he was quoted as adding.