British general downplays threat of Iran-backed militants in Middle East

There has been no increase in the threat from Iran-backed militia against U.S.-led coalition forces battling remnants of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, a senior British officer in the coalition told a Pentagon news briefing on Tuesday.

British Major General Chris Ghika, the coalition's deputy commander for strategy and information, said his remarks did not represent a divergence from increasingly heated warnings coming from Washington, where officials see a growing threat from Iran.

"No, there has been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria. We are aware of their presence clearly and we monitor them along with a whole range of others because that is the environment we are in," Ghika said.