A senior Iranian official warned the US that Israel’s security would be at risk should the US and its allies seek to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian confirmed that his country and the US exchanged messages over the fight against the militant Islamic State group.

Iran has backed Assad during Syria’s three-year civil war. The US has called for Assad to resign and rules out cooperating with his government in the fight against the Islamic State group.

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Abdollahian’s comments were the first time a senior Iranian official confirmed that Iran and the US had discussed fighting the Islamic State group.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.