US President Barack Obama made a statement at the White House on latest developments in Iraq and said degrading ISIL militants is going to require a "regional strategy" and assistance from partners in the Middle East

US President Barack Obama made a statement at the White House on latest developments in Iraq and said degrading ISIL militants is going to require a "regional strategy" and assistance from partners in the Middle East.

The president said he has asked the Pentagon to prepare a range of options for confronting ISIL militants.

Obama said he is dispatching Secretary of State John Kerry to the area to work with ‘allies’, and ordered Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to prepare "a range of options" as he considers future military action.

"As commander in chief, I will always do what is necessary to protect the American people," he said. "Our military action in Iraq has to be part of a broader comprehensive strategy to protect our people and to support our partners who are taking the fight to ISIS."

The U.S. is already going after militant targets inside Iraq and officials said Obama is considering taking similar action in Syria.