A United States official has said that the invasion of Iraqi city of Mosul that is under that control of Islamic State (IS) militants "might be some time from now".
According to CNN, a senior official in US President Barack Obama's administration said that Washington was not putting any "timeframe" on a possible invasion.
Senior administration officials said that Iraq and their allies are making progress in their fight against the IS.
The officials also said that the IS militant group has been degraded substantially as a result of ground combat and air power.