The United States says a rescue mission for trapped civilians in northern Iraq is less likely after an assessment team found better conditions than previously thought. The Pentagon made the announcement after a small group — including Marines and Special Forces — visited Mount Sinjar, where thousands of Yazidis have fled attacks by the Islamic State militant group. The U.S. team apparently found thousands of Yazidis, instead of the estimated tens of thousands, and in better condition than had been feared. The Pentagon credited recent humanitarian aid drops and said U.S. airstrikes and advances by Kurdish forces helped break the siege and allowed Yazidis to escape. The news came hours after Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said President Obama is considering a number of options for Mount Sinjar, including the deployment of U.S. forces.

Ben Rhodes: “What he’s ruled out is reintroducing U.S. forces into combat on the ground in Iraq, but there are a variety of ways in which we can support the safe removal of those people from the mountain.”