Emboldened militants, backed by Sunni tribal leaders, pushed toward Baghdad on Friday as increasingly nervous U.S. officials mulled their limited options to help slow the militants' advance. In recent days, Iran has sent about 500 Revolutionary Guard troops to fight alongside Iraqi government security forces in Diyala province, a senior security official in Baghdad told CNN. However, that claim was rejected by Iran's Foreign Ministry. "We have made our position clear. We are not involved in fighting in Iraq," ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told CNN. A senior Iranian government official told CNN that Tehran is monitoring the situation in Iraq and could send advisers there, but would not send a fighting force.
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Iranian ministry rejects claim that Iran has sent troops to battle ISIS militants
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Airstrikes kill 70 militants and wound 40 in Tikrit, state TV reports
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Bomb blasts hit Baghdad neighborhoods and a Sunni area north of the city
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Sunni tribal leaders supporting militant push, Saudi intelligence source says
After days of stunning defeats, @placeholder claimed a key victory Thursday.