“We are ready to consider all options” once the new government’s strategy is in place, said a senior U.S. official working on Iraq. “There are a lot of different approaches that are being discussed.”

Top administration officials remain wary of significantly escalating its air campaign against the Islamic State militant group, also known by the acronyms ISIS and ISIL, even though American officials have hinted at that, said U.S. officials.

The administration is expected to stick to the limited objectives President Barack Obama set out last week when he authorized airstrikes on the group: protecting Americans working in Iraq and preventing the eradication of the Yazidi religious minority.