The U.K. ruled out joining U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State militants in Iraq as it stepped up efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees.
A recall of Parliament, which would be needed to sanction the use of military force, "is not on the cards," said Prime Minister David Cameron's spokeswoman, Helen Bower. "Our focus is very much on the humanitarian effort," she told reporters in London on Monday. "There is not a discussion underway on the U.K. playing a role in airstrikes."
Cameron, who's on vacation in Portugal, is staying in touch with his office in London and overseeing the U.K. response, Bower said. He hasn't discussed Iraq with opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose support would probably be needed if a motion sanctioning airstrikes were to pass Parliament.