The U.S. and Iran have both publicly committed in recent days to provide military support if requested to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and help his government repel an offensive the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, has launched against Baghdad and other major Iraqi cities over the past week.

U.S. officials said it is imperative for Washington to discuss the security situation in Iraq with Iran and other regional powers in a bid to better coordinate a response against ISIS.

Secretary of State John Kerry communicated Washington’s strategy to his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshyar Zebari, in a phone call on Saturday, according to the State Department.

“The secretary assured the foreign minister that the United States was reaching out to the international community and Iraq’s regional neighbors to emphasize the threat that Iraq and the region are under from [ISIS] and the importance of coming to Iraq’s aid at this critical juncture,” the State Department said.