(VOVworld) – The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, has called for European allied collaboration to deal with the militant group Islamic State (IS).

A member of the IS militant group parading with a tank in a street in the northern rebel-held Syrian city of Raqqa

A spokesperson for General Dempsey said that he and US military commanders agreed that IS extremists might become a direct threat to the US and Europe, stressing the need to form a coalition of capable regional and European partners. Colonel Ed Thomas said US military commanders were preparing options including air strikes to cope with the IS both in Iraq and Syria.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that US President Barack Obama had not made any decisions on whether to use air strikes against IS but will consider the use of military measures without warning to ensure the safety of US citizens.