Iraq’s crisis is deepening as Islamist militants have seized two more towns northeast of Baghdad. Over the past few days, fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, have seized several key cities including Mosul and Tikrit. Kurdish fighters have taken control of Kirkuk. Speaking Thursday, President Obama said he won’t rule out anything that might help the Iraqi government.

President Obama: “What we’ve seen over the last couple of days indicates the degree to which Iraq is going to need more help. It’s going to need more help from us, and it’s going to need more help from the international community. So my team is working around the clock to identify how we can provide the most effective assistance to them. I don’t rule out anything, because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria, for that matter.”

The United Nations says Iraq’s refugee population has increased by nearly 800,000 amidst fighting this year.