Cameron is due to set out his position in a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday night at which he will call on the world to unite to destroy Islamic State (IS)militants, whom he has warned are planning to attack Britain.
The decision to strike in Iraq would be at Baghdad's request. Cameron is due to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Wednesday. Sources in Cameron's office expect him to request British air strikes against IS during the meeting.
Cameron has not yet decided whether Britain would take part in strikes against IS targets in Syria because of legal issues, one source familiar with the matter said, and any announcement on Iraq would be to join strikes in principle and would not herald immediate action.
"This is a fight you cannot opt out of," Cameron told NBC News in an interview on Tuesday. "These people want to kill us. They've got us in their sights and we have to put together this coalition ... to make sure that we ultimately destroy this evil organization."
In turn, the Dutch government is set to discuss on Wednesday contributing four F-16 fighter jets to the US-led military operation against Islamic State, national news agency ANP reported.
A special cabinet meeting was called by the government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte for later on Wednesday to consider what role the Netherlands should play in the air strikes against insurgents in Iraq and Syria.
The US on Tuesday launched air strikes against militant targets in Syria for the first time.
The Netherlands was not among the nations approached by US President Barack Obama at a NATO meeting in Wales earlier this month, when he was building a coalition of allies against the hardline Islamic offshoot of al Qaeda.
The Dutch contribution had been on the agenda for a weekly cabinet meeting on Friday, but was brought forward in view of developments on the ground in Syria.
Dutch military participation would also have to be approved by the 150-seat parliament.
In the same regard, Defense Minister Pieter De Crem said Belgium is set to offer six fighter jets to the US-led coalition to combat Islamic State militants in Iraq.
REUTERS