Washington, D.C. ? The U.S. suspects Iran is providing weapons and other military support to both sides of the sectarian conflict in Iraq – not just to Shiites who have historic ties to the Iranians, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq said Friday.

“We’re working now to determine whether they are in fact not only providing support to Shiite groups, but also Sunni insurgent groups,” said Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, referring to the Quds force, an elite unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Odierno spoke to reporters at the Pentagon from his headquarters outside Baghdad.

Odierno was asked why Iran would help the Sunni extremists of Iraq, because both Iran and Iraq are predominantly Shiite.

“I think it’s mainly because they want to continue to create chaos in Iraq,” he replied. “They do not want this government potentially to succeed.”