Islamic State Gains Ground in Syria
The Islamic State has continued to make gains in central Syria amid a barrage of Russian airstrikes that have mostly targeted rebel groups elsewhere in the country, according to reports.
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Al Qaeda leader hints at ‘unity’ with Islamic State
U.S. intelligence officials say al Qaeda has seen its standing as the leader of the global jihad movement “dented,” and regard an audio recording reportedly released over the weekend by the group’s leader as an attempt to reclaim its prominence.
Crunch talks for Merkel on refugee crisis as thousands more arrive
Nearly 10,000 refugees continued to arrive in Germany daily, police said on Saturday, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the country’s stretched border staff ahead of a crunch meeting between Angela Merkel and a Bavarian ally on the crisis.
U.S. pledges nearly $100 million to support Syrian opposition as anti-ISIS offensive begins
A newly formed U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance launched an offensive against the Islamic State in the northeast province of Hasakah on Saturday, a day after the United States said it would send Special Operations forces to advise insurgents fighting the jihadists.
Iran to send ‘fleet of warships’ to the Atlantic Ocean
Iran intends to dispatch “a fleet of warships” to the Atlantic Ocean shortly, the semi-state Fars news agency reported Thursday, quoting the regime’s navy chief.
Effort to ‘sanitize’? Equipment missing at Iranian military site during nuke inspection
Key equipment at a sensitive Iranian military site turned out to be gone when international nuclear inspectors visited, Fox News is told, suggesting Tehran tried to “sanitize” the facility to further obfuscate how far its program had progressed, leading up to the nuclear deal.
US Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Planes Near USS Ronald Reagan
Two Russian planes buzzed the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan as it sailed in international waters east of the Korean peninsula, Stars and Stripes reports.
Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia, Iran to discuss Syria face-to-face for first time
Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran announced they would attend international talks in Vienna on Friday on the Syrian conflict, in what will be their first meeting to discuss the four-year-long war.
New U.S. Combat Mission in Iraq Is Not New
When Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Tuesday that the U.S. would begin “direct action” against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq, it sounded like a new mission for U.S. forces in a country where the president has repeatedly insisted Americans would not be engaged in combat operations.
Ashton Carter: U.S. to Begin ‘Direct Action on the Ground’ in Iraq, Syria
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday that the U.S. will begin “direct action on the ground” against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria, aiming to intensify pressure on the militants as progress against them remains elusive.
Angry China shadows U.S. warship near man-made islands
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed close to one of China’s man-made islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday, drawing an angry rebuke from Beijing, which said it had tracked and warned the ship and called in the U.S. ambassador to protest.
Russia reportedly just sent its version of Delta Force to Syria
Russia has confirmed sending special forces troops to Syria over the past few weeks to support its mission backing the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
U.S., allies demand U.N. council action after Iran missile test
The United States, Britain, France and Germany sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee on Wednesday notifying it of Tehran’s recent missile test and demanded action in response to what they said was a violation.
Iranian official says expects nuclear deal to be implemented this year
Iran’s nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said on Monday he expected a deal with six world powers on shrinking Tehran’s atomic program in exchange for sanctions relief to be implemented by year-end.
Russia, US agree on Syria; Iraqis won’t seek Russian strikes
The U.S. and Russia on Tuesday put into practice new rules designed to minimize the risk of air collisions between military aircraft over Syria, while Iraqi leaders pledged they would not invite Russian airpower over their nation.
EU, US open new round of free trade talks
EU and US negotiators in Miami on Monday started the 11th round of trade talks seeking to create a trade and investment zone encompassing 800 million people and nearly half of global economic output.
As Russia reasserts itself, NATO opens biggest exercises in years
NATO and its allies opened their largest military exercise in more than a decade on Monday, choosing the central Mediterranean to showcase strengths that face threats from Russia’s growing military presence from the Baltics to Syria.
US confirms Iran tested nuclear-capable ballistic missile
The United States has confirmed that Iran tested a medium-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, in “clear violation” of a United Nations Security Council ban on ballistic missile tests, a senior US official said on Friday.
Iran nuclear deal hits milestone aimed at sanctions relief
The U.S. expects Iran will take months to live up to its end of a seven-nation nuclear pact that could eventually provide the country relief from international sanctions.
Iran reveals images of underground missile facilities; U.S. bases ‘within range’
In a rare moment of transparency, Iran on Wednesday broadcast pictures of one of its underground missile facilities.